The Blood's Iron Will
by DasewigGewitter
Summary: What happened to Hayll after the Purge? Without Kaeleer's help and guidance, the territory hasn't healed at all. This is a story of Alexander DeSade, son of Daemon Sadi and Surreal SaDiablo, who was taken from his family and raised in Queen Meredith's Court in Draega. And of Lilith, the Dream sent to rescue the Prince and Hayll. But who will save her? (Now working on this again)
1. Prologue: The Never-Forgotten Dream

_**Author's Disclaimer: I do not own the Black Jewels Realms or any of the characters created by Anne Bishop, only the original characters created by myself and the adventures that follow. Enjoy!**_

_**Prologue** _

Weaving a web of dreams was an art. Listening to the dreams as music- melodies flow and blend with harmonies. The Arachnian Queens wove them together into a song that became a Dream. Some came once and never again. Others repeated themselves in a familiar refrain. And some...some songs were never forgotten.

Weaver listened to the web before her and closed her eyes. A very old song in this web. She listened awhile longer until she was sure. No. This couldn't be. The web she saw forming in the threads terrified her; it stirred a memory.

The history of the very first Dream was passed down from Queen to Queen of the Arachnians. It took place after a troubled time when the Blood were just beginning to grow strong enough to rule the Realms. Her task ended, Witch came to the Arachnians to speak with their Queen.

_"Why- why did you make me this? What purpose was great enough for me to be the way I am? No one deserves to live this way."_

_ *The Dreamers shape the Dream. You knew that when you were made*_

_ "Well, apparently they weren't so pleased with the result. Look at what they did to me!"_

_ *You were warned about the Court, Lady. And about the Consort. It was the price of wielding the power given to you*_

_ "Everything has a price," Witch replied bitterly. "And the price of being me is that I'm not allowed to have the things normal people want. Why allow me to want them in the first place, then?"_

_ *It couldn't be done, Lady*_

_ Witch leveled a severe look at the Arachnian Queen. "I won't do this again."_

_ *But the Dreamers!*_

_ "Find some other way. Change the threads if you must. But I expect that this Dream- my Dream- will never be woven again."_

_ *Can weave other Dreams- may not be what is needed*_

_ "It will have to be enough."_

_ *Your strength is necessary*_

_ "I won't allow this to happen again. If you bring me back this way again, I will stop you."_

So much pain in that memory. Weaver wouldn't think of the reason why. Too much pain there. Too much rage. But she did remember what happened next.

_*Will be needed again someday*_

_ "No- never."_

_ *Lady, if there is no other choice*_

Witch considered the plea of the Arachnian Queen for a moment._ "Only if there is no other choice. And never again as one of the long lived races. Once is quite enough."_

_ *Maybe no choice...* The Arachnian Queen hedged._

_ "If I'm brought back in this form as one of the long-lived races, I promise that I will come hunting in Arachnia. And if I don't hear an explanation to satisfy me, there will be nothing left of this place. Not a single stone."_

_ *Understand- not unless there is no other choice*_

But the Weavers in those days hadn't understood. Or they forgot. They wove the web again, and the Dream failed. Weaver shivered at that memory.

Fortunate that it hadn't been worse. It hadn't been among the long-lived races, and so Arachnia was spared. After that, the Arachnian Queens were very careful when weaving the web of Witch. Twice before they changed the web before it was too late. The last time was not long ago- the web of Kaeleer's Heart. Weaver examined this web again. Too late. Too late to change this web to become another Dream.

She could not let this web take its final shape. Could not let the Dream fail again. She needed advice. Her Self traveled beyond the place where her body was- into the Abyss. For a few moments, she floated there and waited for the Lady that was the Song in the Darkness to find her. Finally, she felt the Song answer.

_ *Sister, what brings you here?*_

*A web*

_*Surely you have plenty of those* _Amusement darted in and around the words.

*Not like this- was told never to weave _this _web again*

The amusement vanished. _*It must be done*_

*But what about...*

_*Weaver*_ The voice was gentle but resolute. _*It must be done*_

Weaver was thoughtful. *The web cannot become flesh. Threads are still missing. Missing for very long time. Perhaps...*

_*The final Dreamer is coming. He will complete the web*_

Weaver thought of the web. She knew the shape the Dream would take- Witch would be of the long lived races. Weaver remembered the promise Witch made.

*She will be angry*

_*She is what Terreille needs*_

Weaver bowed her head and trembled. Yes, they needed Witch to be strong to deal with Terreille. But would the Blood be strong enough to deal with Witch? No choice.

*I will weave the web*


	2. Chapter 1: Ill-Timed Meeting

**1/Terreille**

Alex mused about the strangeness of the evening as he was on his way back to his suite. He should have been on his way to Lady Bethaeny's suite, but there had been a change of plans. Lady bitch and all of the others were cloistered in the Queen bitch's suite tonight. He hadn't heard the details, but someone had made a big mistake. He wondered who.

Lucky for him- one less night wasted on the bitches. Alexander DeSade was a Warlord Prince, for all the good that did him in Draega. For most males, very little made any difference in how they were treated. Life was miserable regardless of caste or Jewel rank. Miserable and short for anyone who got in Queen Meredith's way. Alex had only survived as long as he had because she considered him her greatest prize.

He supposed that he was. Being Hayllian, he'd inherited the golden eyes, raven hair and browned skin of that race. Every male in Meredith's court had that in common. But where they were handsome at best, Alex possessed a cold beauty that left women breathless. They were half-seduced even before he made a move or said a word. If he didn't keep the sexual pull natural to Warlord Princes leashed, he could seduce anyone he wanted- anyone. They were all drawn to him like moths to flame.

And if that weren't enough, his Jewels were the darkest in the Realm- and that was before he included the ones Meredith didn't know about. She had seen the Red and the Ebon-gray, since he had to show her something. He'd managed to keep secret the others, hoping that someday he'd find a way to use them to break free of her control.

That had been well over three hundred years ago, and Alex had almost given up that he would ever see a day of freedom. Meredith and her coven bitches had torn that hope out of him a piece at a time. That and just about anything else that may have been human once. Six hundred soul-killing years of torture and abuse would do that to anyone. In his case, it had honed him into a beautiful and deadly predator that struck the unwary without mercy.

He wondered if Meredith ever wished she'd played her games a little more cautiously. She hadn't dared let any of her closest coven darlings use him in well over a century. A vicious smile lit his face as he remembered the last one who'd dared try it. That bitch had been a lesson to Meredith that she may have ringed him and caged him in her court, but he was far from under her control.

"I'm telling you, I saw it with my own eyes."

"But why?"

"No idea- just glad it wasn't me."

Alex watched two of the kitchen maids pass him on their way to the servant wing of the mansion. They didn't notice him, which wasn't a surprise. He was sight-shielded, ensuring that he wouldn't attract any attention.

As far as witches went, he tolerated the servants more than any of the aristo bitches. Unless any of them did anything to deserve pain, he left them alone. Most of them did likewise, too afraid of what might happen if they tried to offer him anything more than polite distance.

He listened as these two continued to gossip, presumably about whomever had made the mistake of crossing Meredith.

"But she didn't do anything."

"Since when does that matter to any of _them_?"

"I know, I know," the one witch sighed. "But when it's something like this, it's never over nothing."

"I heard there was some commotion about a few of the Warlords earlier who attacked one of the Ladies. Something to do with a Ring that wasn't working. You should have heard all the screaming she did when they got their hands on her. Maybe it has something to do with that."

Interesting. Alex continued to follow them at a distance while they talked. When he'd been dismissed earlier, his intention had been to seek refuge in his suite for the evening, but now he was too intrigued by whatever had gone on today. Meredith had kept him close all afternoon and evening, so he'd heard nothing about whatever happened with the Warlords. No doubt she'd done that intentionally.

"Kareal, how could she have had anything to do with that?"

"You heard her last week. She said…"

"Shhhhh…don't even say it. You never know where one of them could be."

"What is the worst that could happen?"

"Grael gets three witches instead of one. That's what."

Grael. Alex despised the Warlord, but left him alive because he was a useful tool. Meredith considered him one of her pets, so witches who disappointed her were passed onto him. And in Alex's experience, most of those witches deserved a night with Grael. All bitches who only thought of themselves and their cruel games. He felt no loss in seeing them broken or worse the next day.

But every so often, Meredith turned him loose on one of the maids or some witch who'd done nothing other than get in her way. Alex felt a twinge of remorse when he did nothing to stop him those times. He'd told himself that he didn't get involved because Meredith would make him pay through the Ring, and it wasn't worth it when all he'd accomplish was a delay of the inevitable. If Grael didn't have the witch, Meredith would find some other way of punishing her. What was the point?

So what kind of witch had been sent to Grael tonight, he wondered. Judging by the conversation between Kareal and the other witch, he guessed it wasn't one of the coven bitches.

"You don't suppose he's going to do it in the servant's wing, do you Fawne?"

"Why?"

"I don't think I can go back there tonight if he's…I just can't listen to another one. He broke Lisbeth just the other day- and that was just because he wanted to."

Alex was beginning to suspect that more witches than he thought ended up in Grael's clutches. Maybe he'd outlived his usefulness and it was time the Warlord had an unfortunate 'accident'. If Meredith couldn't prove he'd done anything, Alex was sure he'd get away with it.

"Where do you plan on going instead, then?"

"Isn't there any place to hide?"

"Not likely, unless you'd rather take your chances with one of the other Warlords."

"I'm not going to bed one of them just to avoid Grael. They might not break you on purpose like him, but they enjoy getting away with doing things the aristos would punish them for."

"Some of them aren't so bad, Kareal."

"Name one."

"Paeter isn't like that."

"How would you know?"

Fawne hesitated, and Alex almost saw her blush in the dim hallway lighting. The other maid must have seen it, too.

"You're lovers, aren't you?"

"Only for a few weeks. It's not easy to find time because he has duties in the Court. But when he has a free night, I try to meet him."

Okay, that was something Alex wouldn't have guessed possible. The Warlord they were talking about was one of the lower circle pleasure slaves. He'd seen the man more than a handful of times over the years. And while he wasn't actively hostile towards Meredith's coven, Paeter had seen his share of punishment. How he could turn around and call any witch a lover after that was something Alex couldn't reconcile.

Not a topic he could bring up, either. Maybe it was something the other male pleasure slaves talked about amongst themselves quietly, but Alex was too different from them to share those kinds of confidences. They feared him as much as the witches did. Most times, the isolation was preferred, but it was times like this that he wondered what he was missing.

"Would…would he know of anyone else?"

"I dunno. Maybe."

"At this point, I'm willing to risk it. I don't want to chance running into Grael. He's the most cold-hearted bastard of any of the Blood males in court."

"I could think of worse," Fawne replied.

"There's no one worse than Grael."

"You're forgetting the Prince. I've heard what he's done to witches- even if they control the Ring."

Kareal shivered and closed her eyes.

"Don't, Fawne. I don't want to hear."

"There was nothing left of the last one- spattered all over the room, I heard."

"But…but he only goes after the aristos. I've never heard any stories about something with witches like us."

"Doesn't mean it's not possible. A Prince like him could make anything or anyone disappear if he wanted to and what would the aristos care if they had one less witch to wash and fold linens?"

"I…I don't want to think about it anymore."

Well, that told him what the Blood thought of him, didn't it? Even though he'd never done anything to any of them, they all thought he was a monster worse than Grael. That's what Meredith and her coven had turned him into- all he'd ever be to them. A chill filled the hall, mirroring the rage that swept through him. Alex slipped his hands in his pockets and dropped the sight shield.

"If you were really that afraid, you'd be more careful about what you say in open hallways," he crooned at them.

Both witches whirled around, a picture of horror on their faces. They froze, unable to move when he turned his cold, golden gaze on them.

"It just so happens I have nothing to do tonight. Perhaps you would like me to find something to fill the hours until morning. After all, weren't you just saying that you wanted to find a place Grael wouldn't look for you? I can find a place like that."

Fawne found her voice first, but it wobbled as she spoke.

"N-no, Prince. No need t-to bother with us."

"Hmmm…I'm not sure I'm convinced."

Alex glided closer to them, standing close enough that the hair on the back of Fawne's neck teased her skin when he breathed. She shivered in fear, and he smiled to himself while eyeing Kareal. She was shaking all over, hands clutching her skirts. He could let a sensual wave wash over both of them and they'd both be his. Alex thought of the games he could play with them- something to justify the stories the Blood were telling of him. It would be all to easy to let himself go and follow that violent dance.

A shout at the other end of the corridor snapped him to reality and Alex pulled himself back from the edge. Control. Focus. Before it was too late. He turned towards the sounds of shouting and stepped away from the witches. They scurried away the minute his back was turned. Alex hoped he never laid eyes on them again.

For now, he decided to pay a visit on the much talked of Warlord Grael. No doubt the shouts he was hearing had to do with him and whatever witch he'd been given. So he followed the sounds of the struggle, which grew louder the closer he got to the servant wing.

His guess had been correct. Grael had a witch by both wrists, and was dragging her towards one of the hallway's cramped rooms. A few witches and Warlords just stood by, watching grimly. None of them seemed inclined to do anything for the witch, though. As for her, she wasn't screaming or sobbing like he'd seen others do. Oh no, she was putting up a hell of a fight.

For a while, Alex merely observed the battle. He could easily walk away and let the Warlord claim his prize. She might not be one of the Court bitches, but that didn't mean she wasn't any better than them. And after hearing what the other servant witches thought of him, Alex wasn't sure he cared what Grael did to any witch.

He was still riding too close to that side of his temper that usually promised pain to anyone who got in his way. The other witches and Warlords eyed him nervously and melted away in the darkness. Just as well. No matter what he decided to do, this wouldn't end well for someone. So who would it be?

"You can keep struggling all you want, bitch, but you'll be mine in the end," Grael grunted at her with a laugh. "I'm gonna make sure to take my time with you, too."

The witch didn't respond to the taunt, too focused on the struggle to get away. She was so intent on that goal that she hadn't even noticed him. Neither had Grael, in point of fact. He might watch the whole thing happen without either of them realizing they had an audience. An interesting thought. What games did the Warlord play with his prey?

The witch whipped through a one-footed spin that knocked Grael off-balance and wrenched his arm painfully. Alex jerked back in surprise at her cunning and skill. Grael swore violently, and snatched her up again.

"Think you're clever, don't you? Well, you won't be so clever when I'm through with you." He slammed them into the wall, pinning her roughly.

"Where should I start, bitch? You think you'll be so tough when you're strapped down, legs spread open. You'll cry and scream in the end- they all do."

The witch twitched in his grasp, but couldn't break free. Alex felt something twist inside him and he knew now who was going to dance with his temper. No matter what the other two witches had said about him, he wasn't going to let this happen. Tonight, Grael would be the one screaming.

**2/Terreille**

The hallway chilled suddenly. Lilith's concentration broke for a second as she sensed someone else nearby. Grael didn't seem to notice that they were no longer alone. Not surprising, since he was more focused on taunting her with all the things he was going to do.

Lilith wasn't impressed, or intimidated in the least. Weaker witches would have been, but none of them could fight back. Unfortunately for Grael, she could. In fact, she'd been using the fight to her advantage. It kept him from noticing the death spell she'd been weaving around him. But evidently that had taken too long, because now someone else was here. And that someone was _pissed_. Lilith flicked a glance to see who'd stumbled this far into the servant wing.

Her eyes froze on the shadowy figure only yards away. No…oh no it couldn't be. Not him. Anyone but him. She looked away and back, hoping her eyes had been playing tricks. They weren't. There he stood, a lethal mix of masculine beauty and feline predator.

Alexander DeSade.

At first glance, he seemed casual- a bystander watching her plight without interest. Until she caught the glazed, cold expression in his eyes. Mother Night, he was already riding the killing edge. That's when he chose to approach, every movement the graceful stalk of a predator. She was doomed. If she didn't get away now, she was doomed.

Panicked, Lilith abandoned the unfinished death spell and sent a phantom spike heel through Grael's instep. As he cried out in surprise and lost his grip, Lilith took a chance and ran.

She didn't look back to see if Grael would follow her. All thoughts were bent on escape as she scrambled her way through the warren of corridors.

A hideous scream erupted from the direction she'd come. The Prince had dealt with Grael himself. While she appreciated that at least that task had been taken care of, Lilith knew it would only make things worse. She had very little time to disappear before he came for her next. And he would- of that she had no doubt. Lilith couldn't let that happen.

But as she ran, it became harder to keep focused. Lilith couldn't remember if she'd already been down this hallway, or which way she needed to go to escape from this wing. She turned a corner and let out a breathless shriek.

He was there- blocking her way. Lilith slid to a stop and immediately took several steps backwards. A Red shield pressed against her back. The Prince's expression was impassive as he looked at her.

"You might as well save yourself the trouble of running."

Lilith didn't try to move, but shuffled her feet with the need to escape. He must have noticed, and sighed.

"Grael isn't going to bother you again, witch."

"That is the least of my worries right now," she muttered. "I've heard of you."

"I'm sure you have. What made you think you could run away?"

Lilith shrugged but didn't answer. She needed to move. Standing still was torture. But the Prince continued to pin her in place with his cold stare.

"I know what you're running from."

Shit. He must have picked through Grael's thoughts before he…well, she assumed the Prince killed him. That meant he knew what the Queens had done to her. And now he'd followed her. Not good. She had to get away. Now.


	3. Chapter 2: The Prince's Suite

**1/Terreille**

The witch was still trying to edge away from him. Alex couldn't blame her. If she'd heard stories of him, she'd likely assume he'd meant that as a threat. For once, it wasn't. He didn't want to hurt her. In truth, she was already hurting enough. From what he'd learned from the Queen's pet, the witch had been force-fed a large dose of _safframate_. By now its effects had to be excruciating to the point of madness.

Alex knew that truth all too well. Hadn't he been dosed with it most of his life? So with that in mind, he wanted to help her. But how did he make her understand that? The witch was glaring at him through narrow eyes.

"And what- you thought you'd take his place?" She shook her head. "Not ever, Prince. I'll make you kill me first."

She meant it. Alex could see by the set of her chin that she was serious. He should have been relieved. A witch who wasn't interested in bedding him. But he wasn't. He was insulted. Hell's fire, what was the matter with him?

"That wasn't what I had in mind."

"Doesn't matter. You can forget it- whatever it is."

He paused at the vehemence in her voice. For his first attempt at rescuing a witch, this was not going well. They had to get away from here before the bitch Queens came back. Alex reluctantly thought of the one place the witch could hide.

"The dose they gave you- it will last at least until tomorrow. Maybe longer. I have a suite not far away. No one would come there looking for you." _Unless they had a death wish_, he added silently to himself. "It'd be a safe place to hide until this wears off."

"Thanks, but I'm better off here."

"They'll send someone else once the Queens realize their pet is dead. It's not safe to stay here."

"No less safe than where you're suggesting."

"Look, I'm not interested in you that way," he said, exasperated.

"I can take care of myself, Prince."

Damn she was stubborn. And that stubbornness was going to get her into trouble. It should have been much easier for him to convince her to go with him. Of course, it would be easier if he just loosened the chokehold he kept on his ability to seduce. But he didn't want to use that on her. It only reminded him of the things he'd done in the past, and what he'd almost done tonight.

In truth, Alex had to admit that he wasn't used to witches who weren't afraid of his Jewels, either. They knew that unless they were in a position to punish him, he called the shots. This witch didn't seem to recognize that at all, and maybe reminding her of that fact would end this argument.

"You seem to think you have a say in this." Alex advanced a step. "You don't."

She growled under her breath. "Snarly, pushy male."

"I beg your pardon?"

"What can it possibly matter to you where I wait out the night?"

Damned if he knew.

"It just does."

"I'm out of here."

She made a move to dash past him, but Alex was faster. He grabbed her wrist and refused to let go.

"I think not, witch. You'll end up dead or worse if you don't do as I say. Now keep quiet and follow me."

The witch said nothing as they threaded through hallways, but Alex felt the tremors coursing through her. Could be the _safframate_. He suspected it had more to do with the fact that he was a Warlord Prince and she was going to be trapped alone with him. A terrifying prospect for someone in her condition.

Any other time, he'd revel in a witch's fear of him. No game pleased him more than evoking terror out of the bitches of the New Court. They tortured him and used him. But they all feared him.

Alex glanced at the witch trudging reluctantly along with him. The bitches who liked to torture him had planned to do the same thing to her. He didn't know why, but it made this witch different. She wasn't one of them. No, it did not make him happy that she feared him.

Thank the Darkness, they met no one on the way to his suite. Alex unlocked the door and stepped aside.

"In you go."

"This really isn't…"

"I said- in you go."

Only when she crossed the thresh hold and he'd closed the door behind them did Alex feel any relief. He put a Red lock on the door and turned to face her. She looked…vulnerable…standing uncertainly in the middle of the room. He had no idea how to put her at ease. Hell's fire, he'd never had a witch in his suite before, so what was he supposed to do? Maybe start with something simple- names.

"We didn't really introduce ourselves," he said finally. "I haven't seen you in the court before, so I didn't catch your name."

She fiddled with the cuffs of her dress and glanced around the room. It took her a few minutes to focus enough to answer him.

"Lilith."

"Just Lilith?"

"Morgan." She added and began to pace. "And you're Prince Alexander DeSade."

Alex couldn't think of a reply. He knew all the ways to make conversation during the games he played with the bitch Queens and their covens. But he was lost when it came to just talking with a witch.

So he slipped his hands in his trouser pockets and watched her pace the room, all the while she was twitching at the constant brush of material from her clothes. It had to be torture. _Safframate_ over sensitized the skin, ensuring even the tiniest movement was sensory overload.

"You shouldn't wear that."

"What?"

"Those clothes. Don't you have something less…" the words died on his lips when she stared daggers at him.

"And just what were you suggesting."

"I'm just saying that you'd feel better if you weren't wearing all of that."

"I don't carry much with me, and all of it is pretty much the same as what I've got on."

Alex considered the problem for a moment and offered a solution. "I might have something."

"Something like what?"

With a sigh, Alex slid by her and went to his room to fetch a plain dress shirt from his wardrobe. It would be big enough that she wouldn't have to wear anything else, and loose enough not to bother her. Lilith had resumed pacing when he returned. Alex held out the garment to her.

"Here."

She caught it in both hands and looked at him incredulously. "You can't be serious."

"What's wrong with it?"

"I can't wear your clothes…it's…" she sputtered and then bit her lip, still staring at the shirt. "It's not proper."

"So you'd rather be driven insane by what you're wearing now? You think I don't know what it's like, but I do. I know all about it."

She blushed bright red and started pacing again. Alex figured she must not have had too many lovers, or maybe she'd be less embarrassed at the thought of wearing a man's shirt. Lilith kept glancing down at the shirt in her hands, until finally she sighed.

"I suppose I could try it."

"Now you're talking sense."

He waited for her to change into the shirt, but Lilith just stared at him with a funny look on her face. What was she waiting for? It's not like he cared what he saw- he'd seen hundreds of witches in his lifetime. But she made no move to change clothes.

"What's the matter?"

"Can't you go somewhere else while I do this?"

Alex couldn't believe what he'd heard. "What?"

"I would rather prefer it if you weren't…watching."

"Are you seriously that much of a prude?"

Lilith stomped her foot and ground her teeth. "May the Darkness be merciful and grant me patience. What's so wrong that I want a little privacy?"

"Fine," Alex said. "I'll go in the other room."

Relief washed across her face. "Thank you, Prince."

**2/Terreille**

Lilith breathed a little easier once the Prince was out of sight. The _safframate_ was making it increasingly difficult to focus, especially when he was in the room. If he'd stayed to watch her undress, she might have done something very foolish. And oh how she wanted to do something foolish.

Trapped alone in this tiny suite with a Warlord Prince. And not just any Warlord Prince- the most attractive, dark jeweled Warlord Prince in all of Terreille. With that rich, seductive voice that made a woman's bones melt he was temptation personified. Damn the _safframate_ and its mind games.

Lilith tried to shove those thoughts aside as she vanished the dress she'd been wearing and slipped the Prince's shirt over her head. He was right- it wasn't as unbearable as all the clinging fabric of her clothes, but she wished she hadn't agreed to wear it. The layers had been barriers of protection keeping her away from him. And now all that protection had been replaced by a filmy garment that barely came down to her knees. She was sure he could see right through it.

"Is it safe for me to come out there again?"

_Not likely_, Lilith thought with a sigh.

"As safe as it's ever going to be, I guess."

The Prince emerged from his room, and stopped when he saw her. Definitely not safe here. She should have taken the opportunity to run. Too late now. So she paced, always keeping her circuit well away from him.

Mother Night how she hurt. Another spasm ripped through her and she sucked a breath in through her teeth with a hiss. Focus. Just focus on breathing. But it wasn't helping to have him staring at her. Nerves frayed, she whirled around to face him.

"_WHAT!?"_

"How much did they give you?"

Lilith frowned and tried to remember. "Two spoonfuls, I think."

"No, they couldn't have."

"That's what I saw. They were very deliberate when measuring the dose."

"That's madness. No one survives a dose like that."

"Well I mean to. There are a lot of things I've got to do yet."

He said nothing, and continued to stare. Lilith couldn't bear the scrutiny and resumed pacing. After some time, he spoke again.

"I think I'm going to try to get some sleep."

"Okay."

"You should be fine out here."

"Okay."

The Prince shook his head and disappeared into one of the side rooms. Lilith was grateful that he was no longer an immediate distraction. It was all she could do to pace and keep her sanity as the drug continued to rage on in her body. And so an hour passed with agonizing slowness. Lilith was making her hundredth circuit around the room when she heard a knock at the door. She jumped, startled.

"Prince DeSade, your presence is demanded, immediately."

Lilith backed to the far side of the room and trembled. They'd come looking for her after all. If she were found now, everything would be ruined. She contemplated finding the nearest window and making a run for it.

But at the second knock, the Prince strode into the room. He pointed to a closet and motioned that she should get in. Lilith didn't argue, and squeezed between a few coats. She peered through the slats to watch him fling open the door. Queen Meredith of the New Court stood on the other side.

"Lady Meredith, how kind of you to visit my suite at this hour. To what do I owe the honor?"

"Don't play coy with me," the Queen scoffed. "One of the Warlords of the Court is dead."

"How unfortunate," the Prince crooned. "And you thought I'd want to know."

"No- I came to hear an answer from the one who murdered him."

The Prince looked unconcerned. "Oh yes, that. My apologies, darling, but he got in the way of something I wanted. If he hadn't been so insistent to keep it…" he shrugged.

"Something you wanted, you say. Very interesting."

"And now you're interrupting me."

The Queen's look turned calculating. "Am I to understand that you brought this…something here to play with?"

"Why of course."

"I should have thought of you first, naturally. An excellent turn of events."

She turned to the other two witches with her. "I believe all is settled to my satisfaction. It is regrettable to have lost Grael, but he was a fool and brought his fate on himself."

The two witches nodded in agreement. Both of them cast wary looks at the Prince. Lilith couldn't see his expression from her hiding place, but she could guess that it was something unsettling. The Queen turned back to him.

"By all means, Prince, have your fun. But mind you- we want her alive when it's over. Understood?"

"As the Lady pleases. Is that all you expect- alive?"

"And nothing else."

"Well, I suppose it doesn't spoil all I had planned."

"We'll be back to collect her in a few days, Prince. See that it's done by then."

With that, she turned on her heel and led the others away. Lilith watched the Prince wait for them to disappear around a corner before closing the door. He restored the Red lock and walked towards the closet. Lilith didn't move or breathe. She was so focused on getting through another spasm that she nearly toppled over when he yanked the door open.

"Didn't you hear me say it was safe to come out?"

"No," she gasped.

He knelt down beside her, entirely too close for comfort. Lilith scooted back.

"Relax," he said. "It was a game- a lie I told them to buy you some time."

"I know what you were doing. I'm not stupid."

"I didn't say you were. But _safframate_ plays tricks on the mind as much as it does the body."

"Yeah, I know."

They lapsed into silence again. Lilith had to move before she did something she'd regret. She skirted around him and went back to pacing the room. The Prince should go back to bed now that the Queen was gone. No point in staying out here. But all he did was stare at her. Lilith wasn't sure she liked the expression he wore.

**3/Terreille**

She was suffering. Alex could see it in every move of her body. Every nerve and muscle was strung tight like piano wire. When he'd gone into his room, he'd heard her constant pacing. Alex thought again about what she'd said.

Two spoonfuls…it was the most he'd ever seen anyone dosed. Maybe only once or twice before. As an execution. A dose meant to completely break the body, mind and Jewels. What had she done that prompted Meredith to do it? And what could they want with a witch in that condition, but left alive? He couldn't think of good answers to any of those questions.

For now, Alex focused on what to do. After living in this court all his life, he'd gotten used to seeing pain and suffering. He'd learned to ignore it, or to embrace it. But this- he was finding it impossible to ignore. He knew Lilith had no hope of surviving the next few days by pacing alone. It was only going to get worse. The relentless need caused by the drug would send her into a state of hysteria. Eventually she'd break, and it would take her sanity and her Jewels.

There was a question. Alex hadn't thought of it until now, but he'd yet to get a sense of Lilith's Jewels. She wasn't wearing them openly, but he ought to be able to sense something. As she continued to pace, he thought he'd try to find them out. After several minutes of no luck, Alex gave up. Maybe she didn't wear any. If that was the case, he was all the more puzzled why the bitches wanted her destroyed.

Alex saw the moment the drug gripped her again. Blood drained out of her face and she stared right through him. He couldn't help admiring her tenacity, but it was clear the toll it was taking for her to keep fighting. Alex's thoughts turned down an unexpected road.

She could survive this in one piece…if he were willing to help. _Safframate _worked itself out in one of two ways- violence or sex. Although not a complete relief, sex could take the edge off the worst of it and make things bearable. And if there was anything he knew well, it was sex.

Of course, even considering that option was insane. Alex was the last person who'd ever want to take a witch to bed. Hadn't the court bitches taught him enough to resent sex? It was a duty, and one he'd learned to hate.

Oh he'd mastered every aspect. Mastered all the ways to make a witch feel whatever he wanted. And he'd used those skills in ways none of them expected and few survived. They learned not to trust him unless someone was controlling the Ring he wore. Even then it wasn't always enough.

So why on earth would he consider having sex with a witch when he wasn't forced to, or if he wasn't using it to have revenge on Meredith's Court? Alex continued to watch Lilith pace. Her hands were balled into fists, wrinkling the silk of the shirt he'd lent her.

He told himself he'd be offering out of charity- that it would be the right thing to do. Wasn't that a good enough reason? She was suffering like he'd suffered, and he could help her through it. Wouldn't he have wanted someone to do that for him?

He'd almost convinced himself that was the only reason he was considering this when she made another circuit around the room, passing in front of him. Alex couldn't help noticing how the shirt left most of her legs- her very shapely legs- bare. Couldn't help noticing that it wasn't quite heavy enough to completely obscure the swell of her hips and breasts…or the dark apex at the juncture of her thighs.

He sketched a mental picture of what she might look like naked. Not a displeasing thought, to his surprise. Alex had expected to feel revulsion and dread. Instead, interest stirred through him. More than interest, in fact.

Hell's fire and Mother Night- he wanted her.

"Lilith?"

"I thought you'd go back to sleep," she said, her voice sharp.

"Not tired."

"You don't need to watch over me like a mother hen."

Obviously she was trying to downplay the pain. Alex wasn't going to let her. "Lilith, you can't keep this up."

"I've walked miles before. My legs won't collapse if I walk a few more." She glanced down at her feet. "Although the same might not be true of the carpet."

"Lilith, I'm serious." He put himself directly in her way. When she tried to step around, Alex held his arm out to stop her. "It's only going to get worse. If you don't do something, you could shatter your mind or your Jewels- or both."

"I'm tougher than you give me credit for," she threw back at him. "I'll be fine."

"No, you won't."

"Well, then what would you have me do?"

Apparently, she didn't know as much about _safframate_ as he did. Or she was too focused on what the drug was doing to her to realize where the conversation was headed. Might as well get it over with.

"There's one thing proven to help."

Lilith's expression grew still and closed. No mistake she knew what he meant now. "You'd better not be suggesting what I think you're suggesting, Prince."

"I speak from experience. It does help."

"You are, aren't you? You're suggesting that I…that we…" she backed away.

"I'm offering to help. You don't have to look so damned horrified."

"I won't do it."

"Why not?"

"How can you ask me that? You should know why not more than anyone else."

Alex was taken aback at her response, and waited for some explanation in the silence. When it became obvious she wasn't going to say anything else, he prompted her.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing," she replied bitterly. "It means nothing. Go back to sleep and leave me alone. I don't need your help."

"Fine," he swore and stalked away from her.

Let her pace herself into a frenzy. What did he care that she didn't want his help? Alex told himself she'd done him a favor by refusing the offer. He should feel lucky that she didn't want him.

But as the hours passed and the sounds of pacing didn't stop, Alex felt his anger lessen. Every so often he heard a choked sob. It brought up memories he never wanted to think of again. And the longer the night went on, the less lucky he was beginning to feel.

At some point, he considered an aural shield. At least then he couldn't hear her suffering. But Alex couldn't bring himself to do it. He stared at the ceiling, unable to sleep as the night crawled onward.


	4. Chapter 3: Tainted Coven

**1/Terreille**

Meredith refused to let the witches with her see how much Prince DeSade unnerved her. He was becoming a dangerous liability these past few decades. Nothing like the useful tool she'd been hoping for.

Tonight he was willing to be the tool, and that terrifying rage was in her favor. They may have lost Grael, but Meredith could always train another Warlord to take his place. It was more important that the Prince was going to take care of the little bitch.

How had she slipped into the Court and managed to steal the Rings out of the storage room? It was Craft locked- always. The bitch must have worn at least Sapphire Jewels to get around them, even though she wouldn't confess to wearing any Jewel. Not that it would matter now, Meredith thought with smug satisfaction. Prince DeSade would rip her apart.

Maybe giving him the bitch to play with would keep his temper in check for a little while. He'd never shown any interest in the servants before, so she'd never thought to waste him on them. It had been just as easy to give the troublesome ones to Grael. But it wasn't doing her any good if the Prince was too cold to be of any use to her coven.

She'd let him play with the bitch for a few days, and test out his temper on one of the more headstrong witches. There were always a few who were expendable. If the witch survived, Meredith would make adjustments to his schedule.

A thrill ran through her as she fantasized that she could control him enough to risk bedding him herself. It had been so long since she'd felt the satisfaction Prince DeSade provided in bed. She still remembered it. No other man could match his skill.

"I ought to feel grateful that my plans were cancelled," Lady Bethaeny whispered. "I'm not sure it would have been…safe…to have used the Prince tonight."

"Bethaeny, you ninny, it's _never_ safe," Ettia snapped at her in irritation. "If you were picturing a hot night of passionate satisfaction, you were in for a surprise."

"He has to satisfy me. That's what he's here for, isn't it?"

Meredith knew which of her coven members she was going to test Prince DeSade's temper on first. Lady Bethaeny was a constant disappointment, despite her older cousin being a solid member of the coven. If she had to endure one more stupid remark like that, she'd turn them around and throw the bitch into the Prince's suite tonight.

"The Prince is here to satisfy me," Meredith replied coolly. "So you keep that in mind."

Both witches were silent for the rest of the journey back to the aristo section of the Hall. Lady Bethaeny mumbled some excuse and made a hasty retreat for her suite. Lady Ettia remained behind, watching her cousin with disgust.

"I don't know what my aunt was thinking in recommending her to join the Court."

"She was thinking that she wanted to secure a better position for herself, and was willing to use her daughter to get it."

"Well it won't do her any good if Bethaeny doesn't learn to behave like one of the Sisters. If the Prince doesn't kill her, someone else will."

They reached one of the private salons, and Meredith stepped inside. It was early yet to go to sleep- especially alone. She could order one of the Warlords to join her in her suite, but after thoughts of Prince DeSade, she had little interest in settling for anything less. Ettia hesitated at first, but followed. When they were both seated on one of the couches, she dared asked her question aloud.

"Do you think he'll keep her alive as he promised?"

"Of course," Meredith replied calmly.

"So we're keeping an eye on him through the controlling Rings? Is that going to keep him from going too far?"

"Not necessary."

"But…"

"Relax, Ettia," she dismissed with a condescending smile. "The Prince will enjoy the game all the more if he knows we expect her alive in the end. How cruel do you think he can be when he's balancing what he wants to do without killing her?"

"So, we're not going to monitor him through the Ring?"

"Not tonight. Let him think he has his freedom."

"She may not last long enough- we never did prove that her Jewels were Sapphire. If he finishes with her early, it could leave the coven vulnerable."

Meredith sighed in annoyance. Ettia was right, but she had hoped the witch was smart enough to realize that it was her job to make sure that wasn't a problem. Times like this, she wasn't much more useful than Bethaeny.

"Well then, you'd better find a way to keep that from happening."

The witch regarded her warily, understanding the threat underlying the command. She knew that if the Prince did divert himself with one of the coven witches tonight, she'd be held responsible. Ettia had seen enough of Meredith's Court to know what happened to witches who didn't meet her expectations. She swallowed carefully and nodded.

"Yes, I suppose I ought to see to that now."

The witch stood and left in a hurry. Meredith would have found it amusing if she weren't so irritated. The shuffle of footsteps on the other side of the room interrupted her mood. She looked up to see Valinna.

"The young ones are so trying sometimes, aren't they?"

"You have no idea."

"That one will work out eventually. Unlike some of the others."

"Unlike Lady Bethaeny, you mean."

"Naturally," the older witch replied with a dry laugh.

"If I thought it would do any good, I'd let the Prince do what he liked with all of them and start over."

Valinna sat quietly for a moment, thoughtful. She'd been one of the first witches to join Meredith when they'd taken over Draega. She had taught her about using the Ring of Obedience and was invaluable in keeping the younger Queens in line.

While Meredith didn't completely trust any witch, Valinna was someone she could count on. They both had the same vision of Terreille. That's what mattered.

"Should we be worried that the Prince is beyond our control?"

"I think tonight will show us how to turn that problem around."

"Or it could make things worse."

"What are you saying, Valinna?"

"I'm saying that the Prince may have outlived his usefulness, and you might want to find a way to be rid of him before he destroys all we've worked for."

Meredith was shocked to hear that answer. She couldn't speak for several minutes.

"I don't believe you actually mean that."

"I do mean it."

"Hell's fire, you're the one who came up with the idea of bringing him here in the first place. Seren went there to fetch him, with your illusion spells to keep her cover."

"I know what I did and what I said then."

"So why the change of heart now?"

"We're not going to get what we want out of him, and the longer he's here, the more dangerous it is for us."

"How are you so sure we won't? There's time yet."

"Six hundred years, Meredith. How long are we going to wait? It was a mistake to let him make an Offering, since now he wears a Jewel darker than yours. If that Ring of Obedience fails, he'll finish us."

Valinna was practically vibrating from the emphasis of her tone. She believed every word, and Meredith couldn't lie to herself that she wasn't thinking a lot of the same lately. But she refused to believe that their only option was to destroy him. Eventually he would break and give them what they wanted. He had to.

"It's a waste of a bloodline. There's still a chance he might sire a child or two with the coven. He might even get the bitch he's with now pregnant."

"And so what if he does?"

"Wasn't that the whole point? To develop a female line with that kind of power?"

"I'm beginning to think that was a mistake as well," Valinna muttered.

"We thought we would succeed where the others before us had failed. They'd made the mistake of waiting too long, and the training of the original bloodline had been too ingrained. So we thought starting with an infant would be a 'blank slate' and could mold him to our way of thinking. It hasn't worked out that way- has it?"

"So what if he does sire offspring on this witch or any of the coven," Valinna continued. "How do we know we won't face the same problem with that child?"

"It could just be the male line that is a problem. A girl might be more malleable," Meredith protested.

"And she might end up with Jewels darker than yours, which she could use to overthrow your Court."

That was an uncomfortable thought, Meredith admitted to herself. She wanted a strong successor in line when she had reached old age and could no longer rule. But that was thousands of years away, and she was by no means ready to surrender her Court before then.

Wasn't that why she was so eager to listen to Valinna's suggestions about breaking stronger witches before they became a threat? None of the witches in her coven matched her Gray Jewel, and only a few wore the Sapphire. The rest were Purple-dusk and Opal with a few Green. Witches outside the coven rarely wore anything darker than Summer-sky.

So what kind of danger was she inviting if Prince DeSade gave them a witch with the potential to wear something like the Gray or Ebon-gray? Valinna had a point that now would not be a good time to let that much power grow to adulthood. It was better not to take that risk.

"You see the problem."

"Yes, the timing isn't right just yet."

"And again I ask you- how long are you willing to wait with a vicious killer barely chained by that bit of gold around his cock?"

Meredith hedged a moment before she replied.

"I still think there's hope that we can break him."

Valinna shook her head. She looked uneasy, and Meredith wondered if she had seen something with her Black Widow Craft that made her so outspoken on this issue. She might as well ask.

"Is there something you've seen that I should know about, Valinna?"

"I saw something a few weeks ago that I haven't been able to riddle out yet, but it does not sit easy."

"And it's about the Prince."

"Not exactly."

Frustrated, Meredith hissed through her teeth. Why Black Widows were always so cagey with what they said about visions was beyond her understanding. She wanted a yes or no answer, and they rarely gave one. Just like the answer she'd gotten now. So she tried again.

"What was it, exactly?"

"A black- well, darker than black- wave towering over Draega. It circled the whole city, and no one could escape. As it toppled over, the wave turned to blades that ripped apart whole sections."

"Not the whole city?"

Valinna was deathly silent. Meredith tried again.

"Which parts of Draega, then?"

"The places controlled by the coven."

"I see. And you think that it may be a warning about the Prince. What he might do if he breaks the leash holding him with the Ring."

"It's hard to say for sure. I haven't figured out why the wave and swords would be Black if they were meant to stand for the Prince. Would have made more sense if they were Ebon-gray."

An unpleasant thought struck her.

"You don't suppose a child by the Prince could wear the Black, do you?"

"It's possible. The line is known for very dark Jewels. We wouldn't know the potential depth of the Jewels until the child had a Birthright Ceremony."

"And as you said- by then it could be too late."

"More than likely."

"Well, I will hope that even if the Prince does get the bitch pregnant, she aborts it and we avoid finding out either way."

The other witch was thoughtful, not agreeing right away as Meredith expected. A sly look flickered there for a moment or two. She had come up with a plan.

"Although…we might reconsider the benefits of having the witch keep the child. It might give us the leverage you were hoping to find."

"Go on."

"Maybe we're thinking about this the wrong way. Forget breeding a line to mingle with ours right now."

"What would we be breeding him for, then?"

"A bargaining chip," Valinna replied. "What might a Warlord Prince do to keep a child- especially a son- alive and healthy? Could he deny us what we want, knowing that we'd punish the boy for it in his place?"

A mean smile tugged at Meredith's lips as she began to think of the ways she could make Prince Alexander DeSade pay for all the trouble he'd given her. Of course, it would only work if the child was a boy. She doubted that he would care about a daughter. That'd just be another witch to him.

But a son…oh yes, that would be an effective tool against the Prince. And she could ring the son whenever she chose as a 'punishment' for the crimes of the father. Wouldn't that make him scream? Meredith envisioned him on his knees, begging- offering her anything she wanted to spare his son. She wouldn't, of course, but she knew what she would demand from him.

"Maybe we should make a gift of the bitch to him," she mused. "To use however he wants as long as she stays alive. He's bound to get her pregnant eventually."

"A bit risky about the outcome, though. She may abort the child, and there wouldn't be a second chance with her after that."

She thought for a moment.

"So we keep dosing her with _safframate_. In that state, she won't think about anything but letting him mount her."

"That's if she survives the next few days in one piece," Valinna reminded her. "The dose we gave her was meant to shatter her Jewels and sanity. And the Prince understood that's what you expected him to do."

"Witches don't need to be sane to have babies."

"And if the child turned out to be female?"

Meredith shrugged. "I'm sure the Prince won't weep if we strangle it in the cradle. It would save him the trouble of doing it himself."

"The rest of the coven will be disappointed. We've always told them that our plan was to join the bloodlines."

"I'll deal with them when and if we have to worry about it. They'll see the wisdom of the decision."

"And if they don't?"

"Then the Prince has a few more witches to play with and I remind the rest of them that I rule Hayll."

Whatever argument Valinna was going to make was silenced after that. Even a Black Widow who'd known her for nearly a millennia was intimidated when Meredith used that tone. She was the law, and she could destroy any of them whenever she chose. Or as she had said, she could simply hand them over to the Prince. That threat always cowed anyone who dared say anything against her.

"I'm sure that won't be necessary, Meredith."

"We'll see."

Lady Bethaeny's fate was sealed, in any case. After what she'd seen tonight, that witch would make a perfect example to the rest of the coven. It had been some time since she'd given them a reminder that she was the Queen. After the Prince had finished with the scheming bitch, Bethaeny would be next.

He could have them both for all Meredith cared. That was twice as much a chance they might get a son out of him. Bethaeny's Jewels were only Opal, but as Valinna had pointed out, the strength of the child didn't matter. It was merely the means to an end. So Meredith didn't care if it had Jewels at all.

Belatedly, she realized that Valinna had another topic on her mind. She pulled herself out of her thoughts and tried to focus on the conversation.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I was thinking on the vision again."

"What now?"

"What if…" Valinna hesitated. "What if the Black isn't a symbol of the Prince's potential offspring?"

"What else could it be, then?"

"You don't suppose it's possible his father might find out what happened? If he were to know that we had the Prince, it could trigger a devastating retaliation from that direction."

"Impossible. We both know that he'll never step foot in Hayll. None of them have been seen this side of the Tamanara Mountains since the Purge."

"He could still find out."

"Enlighten me how that is possible."

"The demon dead. Suppose one of them lets slip something about the Prince when they're in Hell? A handful of the right words and they'll be able to piece it together."

"I doubt any of the ones who actually make it to Hell are going to say much of anything about the Prince. The only ones who could are the witches he's destroyed, and there's never enough left of them to transition to demon dead."

"All the same, I think it might be a wise decision to finish the kills from now on. Why take the risk?"

It was a good suggestion, even if Meredith didn't think there was any true danger from the demon dead. After all, they'd been sending brutally tortured Warlords and witches to Hell for centuries now. The High Lord hadn't interfered with any of that. Meredith was content to think that he had washed his hands of Hayll.

"Fine. If it makes you feel easier, we'll finish the kills," she conceded.

"Shall I inform the others, or will you make that announcement tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow will be soon enough," Meredith decided.

"Probably just as well."

"I don't expect anything will happen tonight. The Prince is occupied with that bitch, and everyone else had strict orders not to engage any of the other Warlords for the evening."

"Well then, I think I'm going to get some sleep. The next few days will require concentration."

With those words, Valinna retreated and left Meredith alone in the salon. She wondered how she was going to be patient these next few weeks. The wait would be the most difficult thing about the whole plan. But she swore that this one wouldn't fail, and she would finally have what she wanted. She'd have Prince Alexander DeSade under her thumb, obeying her commands without defiance.

Once she had the Prince in line, Meredith would be able to take the next step. Ruling Hayll was only the start. She'd use him to take back the other territories that should rightfully belong to her. She'd start with the weaker territories first- then move on to Askavi and the territories on the other side of the Tamanara Mountains.

Dena Nehele and Shalador Nehele would have to be last, since they were the most connected to Kaeleer. Meredith wanted to be fully prepared before she drew any attention from the Shadow Realm. And by then, she hoped that she would own the Prince- own every part of him. How would Kaeleer fare if she held that weapon against them?

Meredith smiled again, thinking of just how they would squirm when they realized who they'd have to fight if they wanted to take her down. She'd have them all in the end. All she needed was the first piece, and Meredith was certain she knew now how to get it.


	5. Chapter 4: An Unexpected Offer

**1/Terreille**

The Prince had been right. The pain was so much worse now. When the spasms hit, she couldn't stop the shuddering sobs that wracked her.

It was too late to run away from here, even if she thought he wouldn't notice her pass through the Red shield. She couldn't maintain any defense and fight the _safframate_ poisoning her. And so she was stuck here until it passed- stuck here with the Prince in the next room.

He'd invited her to share that room with him. Lilith had never expected him to actually make the offer, but wasn't surprised that he felt obligated to. With the pain as bad as it was, she'd almost let the temptation of that offer melt her resolve. Almost.

But she wouldn't give in. Couldn't afford to give in, because she'd regret it and so would he. Just another day or so and this would pass. A little longer. But oh how tired she was. If she could, she'd lie on the floor and never get up again. Lilith took a shaky breath and gripped the edge of an end table. Here was another one.

Warmth. A hand on her shoulder. Lilith bolted like a spooked horse, but the hand held her in place.

"Lilith," she heard the Prince say from behind her. "Nothing is worth torturing yourself like this."

"I'll remind you that I'm not the one who did this to me. They did."

"But you're the one making it worse."

"I already told you, I can't accept the help you're offering."

A pause. Lilith realized she'd made a tactical error. The Prince's voice was thoughtful when he spoke again.

"Before, you said 'won't'. Now you say you can't."

"Same thing."

"Nooooo, it's not." He said slowly and turned her around to face him. "So which is it?"

Lilith tried to calm the fluttering nerves in her stomach. If it hadn't been empty, she might have thrown up. The Prince waited patiently for her answer, and would probably wait all night. Lilith caved.

"All right, all right. I can't. Are you satisfied?"

"Not yet. I want to know why."

Oh no, she couldn't. Lilith just couldn't say that. Not to him. Not here and certainly not now. Not ever. But he wasn't going to let her go without an answer. She could see that in his expression.

The _safframate_ was pulling at her, meaning Lilith was in no condition to fight him about it. If she didn't answer him soon, she'd do far worse than spill out this particular truth.

"Lilith?"

"I…I…" she tried to speak, but the words stuck in her throat. She swallowed carefully and tried again to offer an explanation.

"I haven't, um, that is to say…you see there hasn't been a convenient time to…" Lilith trailed off in embarrassment, a blush rising in her cheeks. "Please don't make me say it."

**2/Terreille**

Alex was stunned. She might as well have brained him with a rock. A virgin. But the longer he thought on it, the more he realized that he should have guessed.

It all made sense now. Her uneasiness and shyness around him, and her attempts to escape staying in the suite. The reaction to wearing his clothes. Not to mention how rattled she got about the undressing in front of him. And her rejection of his first offer.

All very clear clues that she was definitely a virgin. And one who'd been trying very hard to keep him at arm's length. She likely knew as well as he did that this was not the time for a Virgin Night, which was tricky under normal circumstances. Drugged with _safframate_, it could be disastrous. No doubt Meredith was counting on it, and had done this on purpose.

That put him in an awkward position. Finding out that Lilith was a virgin hadn't doused the desire to take her to bed. Quite the opposite, to his mortification. But using force was out of the question.

Alex stared down at her and watched as another drug-induced spasm rocked her. He couldn't force her, but he knew she couldn't go on like this, either. Mother Night, what were they going to do?

He felt he needed to say something.

"I see."

"Yeah, I bet you do," she grumbled. "If it's all the same to you, can we just forget all of this?"

"No."

Wary eyes glanced up at him. "No?"

"No."

"But…there's no point. I already told you I can't possibly…I just can't."

He considered the options for a moment before answering her.

"There are a lot of things we could do without crossing that line."

Lilith's knees gave way. If he hadn't been standing so close, she would have fallen to the floor. The second she was steadied, however, she was pushing him away.

"Have you lost your mind? Didn't you hear what I just said?"

"You said you were a virgin. But surely you at least have some experience."

"I've never done _any_ of this before."

Well, that was a daunting thought. Alex had never known a witch who had no experience with men. The idea of teaching her started to gain a dangerous appeal, and he raised an eyebrow at her.

"Maybe now's a good time to start."

"Don't joke about something like this." Her voice shook. "Don't you dare."

"I'm serious."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am."

"Yeah, well, that may be, but I'm telling you it's still not happening."

Lilith's tone was deathly, expression closed and strained. She was prepared to fight this, and the _safframate_ hadn't weakened her resolve enough that arguing with her would do any good. Not even if he spent all night.

Alex knew he did have a weapon that would melt that resolve in no time. He needed only to unleash the sexual lure he usually reserved for games with the court bitches. Without any leash keeping it muted, Lilith wouldn't stand a chance. She'd let him do whatever he wanted.

That was precisely why he wouldn't do it. Using her in that way would make this another game, like he'd played with all the others. Lilith was not one of the court bitches, and he didn't want to use any of the techniques he used with them on her. If she agreed, he wanted it to be because she wanted to.

And at that moment, he caught the irony in having those kinds of thoughts. Meredith and the other bitches had spent centuries wanting- and having- him. They would have sacrificed anything if even once he'd admitted that he had enjoyed it. Now he actually wanted a witch to want him, and she refused to do it.

But it wasn't the same thing, was it? The other witches- all they wanted was to use his body and to say that they had control of him. They didn't want the Warlord Prince or the man that was _him_. That's what he caught himself wishing Lilith wanted. All thoughts of the danger of that kind of wish aside, Alex wondered if he was hoping for the impossible.

If witches who wore Red and Gray were afraid of him, what chance did he have that a witch who didn't even wear Jewels could accept the kind of Warlord Prince he was? Hell's fire, she didn't even know he wore Jewels darker than the Red and she was still shying away from him. What would she do if she knew he wore the Ebon-gray…or any of the others? Alex knew what she'd do; She'd run.

He sighed dispiritedly and gave up pursuing the conversation. Just as well.

"So now what?"

**3/Terreille**

Now what- that was a good question. Lilith really didn't have an answer for it, but she was grateful that the Prince had given up on his idea that they should do anything about her lack of experience. Even without the _safframate_, that was a temptation best left unexplored.

Not that Alex would even be offering if not for the _safframate_, which was why Lilith couldn't accept. If he'd been offering because he wanted to…maybe that would be different. Maybe. Lilith tried not to feel sorry for herself that she wouldn't find out.

Shaking those thoughts aside, she tried to think of something else to pass the unending hours before morning. An idea came to her, and she felt herself smile for the first time since seeing him. The Prince eyed her warily, obviously unnerved by whatever she was going to suggest.

"That look does not bode well," he said.

"Well, I have an idea of a way to pass the time if you're not tired," Lilith admitted, trying to sound innocent. "But I'm not sure you'd enjoy it."

"And why would that be?"

She smiled again, remembering the last time she'd had an evening to do something other than work. It had ended with several Warlords swearing that they'd find something to keep her busy with from now on. Lilith called in the cards and game pieces she carried with her, even in Terreille. The Prince looked at them in disbelief, and then back to her.

"A _game_? What in the name of hell could put _that _look on your face about a game?"

"It's called Cradle. The witches play it where I'm from. I've been told that the rules of the game drive blood males crazy, and they don't always find it fun to play."

"What kind of rules?"

Lilith shrugged. "Well, since you asked…"

It took a half hour or so to finish explaining the rules of Cradle to the Prince. She supposed part of that was on account of how complex the game was, but most of the blame landed on having to get up and pace whenever the _safframate_ spiked again.

She told him every variation of the game she knew…all except one. She'd see if he came up with variation twenty-seven for himself. When she'd finished, the Prince looked dubious, but didn't object to the idea of playing a few hands.

"I think you're right- there's something off about this game that defies logical rules."

"I hear that from blood males all the time, so your complaint doesn't surprise me at all."

As they set the pieces on the board for the opening moves, the Prince regarded her in contemplation. He didn't comment about that, though, and changed direction of the conversation.

"Just where did you learn a game like this? It's definitely not played in Hayll."

"It used to be. But it's been a long time since witches here have found games that didn't involve a human life interesting," she snarled.

The Prince wisely chose to leave that subject go.

"So, where is it played?"

"They've started playing it in some of the other territories- Askavi, Challiot and a few of the others."

"So are you from one of those territories, then?"

"No, I'm not," Lilith replied shortly as she made an opening move on the board.

"You're not going to tell me where you're from, are you?"

"Not today."

The Prince made a move of his own and frowned. She couldn't tell if he was frowning at the cards he'd drawn, or at what she'd said. Hopefully, the tone of her reply would be enough to keep him from asking her about where she was from.

That was something she couldn't afford to answer until they were away from here. It would lead to a lot of questions she couldn't answer until he was free of Meredith's court and on his way home.

"You are the most unusual witch I've ever met," he said finally.

"Would it help to know it's not just you? I've heard that said about me before."

"Actually, it does."

Lilith looked at the cards in her hand, and saw a move that would pretty much guarantee her the win. She made her move, and watched for his reaction. It took the Prince only a minute to realize that he would be fighting a losing battle for the rest of the game, and had a very slim chance of overcoming her advantage. He growled.

"And males play this game willingly where you're from?"

"Yep."

"Are they crazy?"

"Nope. From what I've heard my friends say, they turn losses to their advantage."

"How do they do that?"

Lilith waited for him to make his next move and got up from the table to pace a while. The _safframate_ had her in its grip again, and she needed to move in order to stay focused. The Prince watched her from where he sat, obviously unhappy that she was choosing to suffer through it.

But he didn't voice that thought aloud, thank the Darkness. He only waited for her to stop pacing and return to the game. Lilith picked up her cards again and thought of how to answer his question.

"I've been told they use sympathy over their repeated losses to get out of tasks they don't want to do-or to get something they want. Bartering, you'd say. After so many losses, they might not have to stand as escort to a play they don't want to see. That sort of thing."

He considered her words as he made another move on the board- one that sealed his loss in the game. The Prince seemed to be more focused on what she had said than his strategy.

"Wherever it is you're from, Lilith, I wish I could see it. Because that sounds very different from what it's like in Hayll."

"Different is an understatement. Hayll is nothing like the place where I'm from."

Again, he said nothing, and gave her an odd look across the table. Lilith pretended to ignore it, and they continued to play. When it was over and he lost- as she knew he would- she shrugged.

"That's Cradle for you. Had enough?"

"No," the Prince said, surprising her. "We're going to play this until I win."

"If I heard right earlier, Meredith only gave you a few days. I hope you can figure out a way to win by then."

"Did you just…"

"Yep."

"Set up the board. We're going to play until I make you take back that smartass comment."

And play they did. Lilith found that the game helped keep her mind focused on something other than the _safframate_ for a while. Not perfectly, mind you. It still wrung her breathless with a merciless grip every so often. During those times, there was nothing to do but pace and stare vacantly ahead. But the few moments in between those fits were almost bearable.

The Prince took his continued losses with grace, but she could see that he was piecing together how the game worked. It was well past four in the morning when a look crossed his face that made her pause.

"I think this time I've found a way to beat you, Lilith. We're going to play a different version."

It was his deal, and he began setting up the board- set it up in a pattern neither of them had played yet. One that she had seen before, and she couldn't stop herself from whispering it.

"Variation twenty-seven."

**4/Terreille**

Alex heard the hushed whisper and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Variation twenty-seven?" He looked from her to the board. "I take it that you've played this version before."

Lilith shook her head. "Never played it myself."

"But you've seen it."

"Yes."

"And you failed to mention it before because?"

A guilty look flashed across Lilith's face before she mumbled an answer. "I was curious if you'd figure it out on your own."

"Looks like I did."

"Yes, seems so."

That meant something to her, and Alex was sorely tempted to ask her what exactly that was. But he had the feeling she'd dodge the question if he did, so he kept it to himself for now. Instead, he gave her a confident smile.

"Well, I think I'm finally going to pay you back for that remark earlier. Just try to work your sideways female logic on this set up. I guarantee you won't win."

Lilith stared at the board and sighed heavily. "I resent the term 'sideways logic', but I will concede that it will be a challenge to beat. This version was invented over eight hundred years ago and witches have yet to find a way around it."

"Well, then I say my odds are very good it won't happen tonight."

"We'll see," she answered back with a wry smile. "In those eight hundred years, I haven't played it for myself."

"So you'll single-handedly rout a variation that no one else has beaten in almost a millennia?"

"I guess you'll find out, won't you?"

Alex couldn't help being amused. The complication with the _safframate_ aside, the night wasn't all bad. It was a unique experience to see a witch as a person instead of prey- and to be seen as a person himself. He had a suspicion that for Lilith, this was not quite so unique. What kind of territory did she come from if this was normal? And why in the name of hell did she leave it for a place like Draega? That piece of the puzzle made no sense at all to him.

Lilith stared at the board, and then back at the cards in her hand before making a move. Oh yes, this time he was definitely going to win. Alex pounced on the opportunity he saw to block her opening move, and threw her a triumphant look.

"Seems to me that you're not starting out so well."

"It's early yet."

She made another move, and then stood abruptly. Alex watched as the _safframate _gripped her again, every muscle tense. The spasms had gotten more frequent during their last game, and were getting worse. But she'd continued to deflect any attempt to bring up the subject of relieving that tension.

"Lilith?"

"It'll pass," she snarled, voice strained by the effort to keep focused. "Are you going to move or what?"

"They're getting worse and you know it."

"I said it'll pass!"

Why did he bother arguing with her? Lilith was not going to see reason about this. Alex sighed and made his next move in the game. As she paced, he thought of what she'd said about the times she'd played against blood males in her home territory.

Maybe there was a way to work this to his advantage by making a wager against the outcome. Lilith sat down again, exhaustion plain on her face. No better time to see if this idea would work.

"I've got a deal for you, Lilith."

"What sort of deal?"

He set the cards down and leaned over the table. She leaned back, wary.

"You think you can be the one to beat this variation, don't you? Why don't we see how confident you are and lay a bet."

"And the stakes you're proposing?"

"You win and we drop the subject entirely about the _safframate_. Not another word."

"And if you win?"

"You reconsider my suggestion."

Lilith was silent for several minutes, staring at her cards and shuffling them around. He could almost see her turning over each strategy she could pursue in the game, and the debate whether it would win. On one hand, it was almost insulting that she was so determined to avoid any involvement with him physically. But then if she didn't think she had a chance, Alex doubted that she'd risk taking the bet at all. It wouldn't matter either way. He was sure she couldn't win.

"Waiting for your answer, you know."

"Do you have someplace else to be? I'm thinking."

"I think you're not so sure you can make good on your boast and that's why you won't answer me. You know you're going to lose," he taunted.

"Oooooh, you think you're so damned clever, don't you? Fine, it's a bet."

And that's how it was done. He knew if he got her temper riled, she'd snap back and agree. Now it was just a matter of winning the game. He made his next move and flashed her a look of challenge.

"May the best player win."

**5/Terreille**

The game had gone on for a very long time- longer than she'd ever seen. Of course, that was partly due to the frequent breaks she needed with the _safframate_ and all. It was getting worse, just as the Prince had said. It wasn't just spasms now. The drug had a relentless grip on her body all the time. She played half of the game standing because she couldn't bear sitting still anymore.

For his part, the Prince said nothing about any of it. But he was playing with a ruthless determination to win the bet. Lilith had fought just as hard to thwart him. She couldn't afford to lose. Hell's fire, she shouldn't have agreed to the bet in the first place, but damn him for baiting her temper that way. She'd snapped her answer before really thinking about it, and then it was too late to take it back.

They had only a few moves left, and Lilith knew she had only one chance left at winning. One mislaid card and she'd lose- lose more than just the game. The _safframate_ closed in on her again, making it difficult to think. She stared at the three cards in her hand and willed herself not to lose focus again. Just a little longer. A little longer.

"Well?"

She laid her card and moved the pieces. The Prince frowned, obviously annoyed that she'd successfully parried his last move. He thumbed through his cards and studied the board for a long time. In between minutes, Lilith concentrated on breathing.

Another feverish shiver raced through her and she paced the room to distract herself. When this was over, she was going to ache all over from keeping her body wound with such tension. Finally, he moved a piece on the board. Lilith studied it and considered her cards. A glimmer of hope. She could still win this.

"See what you can do about this," she said.

The Prince stared at the card she laid down, shaking his head.

"That's impossible."

"No, it's not. And I think I know what card you have left to play."

"It's not possible," he repeated, but laid down his card to make his final move.

Lilith made hers- the winning move. She should feel triumphant that she'd managed to do something witches had been trying to achieve for centuries. She'd won against variation twenty-seven, and guaranteed that the Prince wouldn't renew any offer that would tempt her to do anything stupid for the rest of the night. But she didn't. The victory was hollow, and Lilith almost caught herself wishing that she'd lost. Madness.

The Prince gathered up the cards, saying nothing. Lilith wasn't sure what to do about that, either. Finally, she ventured a comment.

"I'm guessing that was the last game."

"It's late," he said flatly. "I think I'm going to try getting sleep again."

"Okay."

"Good night, Lilith."

"Good night."

With that, he rose and left for his room without a backward glance. Lilith was glad he didn't turn around, since she wasn't sure what expression she wore. Relief warred with disappointment, and she had to smother the urge to call out an apology. She couldn't help feeling that she'd made a mistake and ruined something.

This whole night was filled with one mistake after another. How was she ever supposed to keep focused enough to know what decision was the right one? Damn the _safframate_ for making this so complicated. Everything about this had gone horribly wrong.

Night faded into morning as the hours crawled by. No sign of the Prince at all during the morning, but Lilith didn't notice. She hadn't gotten any sleep at all, and paced the room with ferocious energy. The only thing she'd been able to manage was to call in some food, and ate it while she walked.

But that was at least an hour ago- or two. Lilith didn't know anymore how much time had passed. At this point, she was aware of only one thing- the relentless need that throbbed and burned through her. Even the light brush of the silk shirt was torture. And if she'd been able to think, she might have taken that off for what small relief that would give her.

By mid-afternoon, she didn't even remember that she was in the Prince's suite. Lilith shook constantly from the stress of trying not to feel and feeling too much. She'd tried to eat again, but nothing had stayed down. More than once, she worried that this might actually break her.

Not her Jewels. Those would survive this. But that it would crack the grip she had on her sanity and she might slide into the Twisted Kingdom. If that happened…may the Darkness have mercy on the Blood, because there'd be no mercy in her. So she fought it, clinging to the cliff of sanity by her fingernails. Just a little while longer. The worst would pass soon.

But as the afternoon drifted back into evening again, it seemed like the torture would never end. Lilith was too exhausted to pace anymore, and had collapsed to her knees near the window. She must have called in the dress she'd been wearing earlier, because half of it lay in shredded strips on the floor around her.

Lilith stared unseeing out the window at the night sky and continued to tear up the dress. The material wasn't easy to rip apart, and it hurt her hands. She didn't stop- didn't even think about the pain, since it was nothing compared to what the _safframate _was doing to her on the inside.


	6. Chapter 5: The Inner Ledge

**Author's Notes: So I realized belatedly that I ought to point out that chapters 5-7 have been somewhat redacted to comply with FanFiction's guidelines about ratings. Unedited versions can be found on my DeviantART acct for anyone interested in reading them. I'll be sure to point out any future chapters that experience the same redaction process as well.**

**1/Terreille**

Alex guessed he ought to check on Lilith. After their final game of Cradle last night, he'd been so annoyed with Lilith- and with himself- for losing that he'd had to get away from her for a while. He'd been so sure that he'd win, and it had shaken him how badly he'd been disappointed when he hadn't. The need to be alone had been so great that he had put up an aural shield so he wouldn't be tempted to go out there again.

Well, whatever mood had been riding him then hadn't cleared yet, but Alex knew he ought to at least see how she was holding up. It had to be well into the second evening by this point, so the worst should have passed. Maybe he could stand being around her if he didn't have to see her in so much pain. He let down the shield and listened to the main room of the suite.

Deathly silence greeted him, making Alex uneasy. He should hear some sign of Lilith, even if it was only footsteps as she paced the room. Maybe she'd fallen asleep. For her sake, he hoped that was true. At least sleep could buy her a few hours' relief and give her some time to face the lingering effects that he expected would continue throughout the night.

Alex stepped back into the half-light of the other room and stopped dead. Lilith had collapsed to the floor, a pile of shredded…something…strewn around her. He paled as he realized it was the dress she'd been wearing earlier, torn viciously into scraps. Some of the pieces had blood on them. But Lilith didn't seem to notice, her eyes fixed towards the window.

She didn't turn as he advanced slowly into the room, watching as her shoulders trembled with the effort of ripping apart the fabric of the sleeve she still held in her hands. They lost their grip, and he realized where the blood had come from. She must have given herself blisters that had broken open.

Mother Night, what had she done to herself? More to the point- what had he allowed her to do? Alex berated himself for having sulked in his room as long as he had. He was as much to blame for her current condition as she was. Maybe more so, since he already knew well what would happen as the _safframate_ ran its course. He could be too late now, and it may have already shattered her mind. Cautiously, he knelt down in front of her.

Tears slid down her cheeks, but Lilith still didn't make a sound. She didn't seem to notice him there, her attention drawn inward. Whether it was her way of maintaining control, or a sign that she'd already lost it, he wasn't sure. But the unfocused expression in her eyes couldn't be good.

Alex tried to ignore the knife-edge of fear in his gut, and reached for the fabric in her hands. Lilith flinched and pulled back from him, but he still wasn't sure she actually knew he was there. He cleared the lump in his throat and tried to talk around it.

"Lilith, let go of the dress. You're hurt."

Her eyes didn't shift focus, but she shook her head at him.

"Everything hurts."

"I know, but this isn't going to help."

"Doesn't matter. None of it does."

She tried to struggle to her feet again, but Alex held her in place. Even if she did manage to get up, he doubted that she had the strength to pace anymore. Lilith tugged out of his grasp and tunneled her fingers through her hair. They closed into fists as she began to pull, and he was terrified that she'd try to rip it out by the roots.

Alex reached for her hands and lowered them to her lap. Mother Night and may the Darkness be merciful. He was almost certain that she was skating the borders of the Twisted Kingdom, if not already pushed over the edge. And it was his fault.

"Lilith, look at me," he insisted. "I know how bad it is, but you have to fight it. I promise I'll help."

"I…" her voice broke into a wracking sob. "I can't do this anymore!"

Lilith jerked like a puppet whose strings were cut and collapsed into him. Alex could only sit there, stroking her hair as she cried. There were no words to say that could fix this, and he wasn't sure he would have a voice to speak with even if he did.

He damned Meredith and the rest of her bitches for putting Lilith through this. And he damned himself for not having done a better job of taking care of her. Some rescue this turned out to be. Alex supposed the only thing he'd managed to do was spare her the added cruelty of being raped before her mind broke. That didn't feel like much of a victory right now.

Eventually, Lilith wrung herself out of tears that dissolved into watery breaths. Whatever had broken loose was being packed away again, and Alex swore he could feel her locking down. He wasn't sure what to say in the silence that stretched between them. When she pulled back again, he could see she was having a similar problem.

"Can we pretend that didn't happen," she asked finally.

Well, that was a good sign that maybe she wasn't quite as fragile as he thought. The question certainly sounded like something a sane person would ask. Well, maybe not sane, but definitely not the question of someone lost in the Twisted Kingdom.

"You can pretend it didn't, but we both know it did."

"I mean not make a big deal out of it."

Alex turned her hands palms upward and created a ball of witchlight. In the added light, the welts were hideous, some still bleeding. Then he pointed at the ruined dress all around them.

"Not a big deal, you say. I'd consider this a big deal."

"I just needed something to do as a way to distract from…"

"I know what you were doing," he cut her off. "_Safframate_ works itself out in one of two ways- sex or violence. If I hadn't come out here, what would you have turned on next?"

"Another dress, perhaps. I have a few others to call in."

"No, Lilith. It wouldn't have been a dress. You'd have turned on yourself."

"You don't know that."

"Yes I do."

"You don't know what was going on, so you can't possibly-"

"I do know because I've done it," he roared at her, too angry to keep a leash on his temper.

Lilith was silent, a startled expression on her face. Alex wished those words back again, but it was a little late to pretend he hadn't said them. Telling her that he'd been dosed with _safframate_ before was one thing, but admitting that he'd crossed that particular line was something better left unsaid. To anyone.

He certainly didn't want to remember the nights they'd drugged him and left him caged in his suite to punish him for not submitting as they wanted. He'd paced, cried, and ripped the place apart just like she'd done.

And when that didn't work, he'd turned on himself. Thank the Darkness he'd known enough healing Craft to fix the damage, but it didn't erase the scars on the inside knowing what he'd been driven to do in the first place.

"Well, I guess that about makes us even, then," she mused.

"Even?"

"I get to be embarrassed that I cried all over you, and you can feel uncomfortable that you said more than you'd care to admit about living in Draega. Even."

Feeling a little too raw to laugh, Alex could only shake his head in bemusement at her logic.

"If you say so."

Of course, those thoughts faded when he saw her palms again. They needed attention soon or they'd become infected. Alex knew he could do it, but he wasn't sure he ought to test how closely Meredith was monitoring his Ring. She might expect and ignore certain kinds of Craft, but healing Craft would alert her that something wasn't going as she expected. Lilith wasn't in any shape to make an escape from here if their ruse were to be discovered now.

"I suppose I ought to see to this," Lilith grumbled, studying her hands.

"Can you fix it?"

"Yes." She glanced around the suite. "Do you have a bowl and some hot water?"

"I can get some."

Alex stood and found the things she'd asked for in the bathroom. When he got back, she had vanished the dress and had called in a few vials. She shrugged when he sat the bowl down and looked questioningly at her.

"I figured it was best to get rid of the mess I made in here."

"I see."

Lilith poured one of the vials into the bowl and waited until the water had turned milky. As steam rose into the air, she poured in the second one. Then she sucked in a breath and immersed both hands in the solution. He couldn't make out the words she was muttering, but it sounded halfway between a curse and a prayer. Whatever she was doing, it must have been pretty painful.

"That's hurting you," he said. It wasn't a question.

"It's my own fault," she replied through her teeth. "It's a reminder not to do stupid things like this again that make me need to heal something this fast."

Before he could ask her what she meant, Lilith had removed her hands from the bowl. They were whole- no sign of the welts from earlier. Alex had never seen a healing performed so quickly.

"That's amazing."

"Yeah, but it hurts like a wicked bitch, so I try not to need to use that method too often." She gestured to the bowl. "I'm through with that, if you wanted to dump the water out. Be very careful not to touch any of it and rinse out the sink."

"Why?"

"Let's just say that solution is not meant to touch healthy flesh and leave it at that."

Okay, that was ominous. Alex did as she suggested and chose not to ask any more questions. But he did wonder if she might tell him what was in the vials she'd used. It might come in handy around here.

Lilith was poking at her hands when he returned to the main room. She'd gotten up from the floor and was sitting on the couch, so Alex sat next to her. They needed to talk about what to do now while she was still lucid. It was only a matter of time before the _safframate_ would come rushing back at her.

And although Alex was sure that the worst of it had passed now, that didn't mean that she was out of danger. Far from it. She was exhausted and had already strayed too close to breaking once. Another spasm and she might tip over the edge for real next time.

"Lilith, we need to talk."

"When you say talk…"

"I mean that was too close, and we both know it. I think you really need to reconsider my offer."

"But you promised you wouldn't bring that up again."

"I'm breaking that promise. You can choose something else to claim for winning that game of Cradle, but we're discussing this."

"There has to be some other choice," she hedged.

Alex heard the doubt in her voice and saw an opportunity to change her mind about this. He suspected that she was concerned about how well she'd survive the rest of tonight after what she'd just been through, but wasn't willing to admit it. That was fine. He didn't need her to admit it to him. All he needed was to play that concern against her reluctance to agree with his plan.

"Think about it, Lilith. There are only two options to ride this out- violence or sex. You've already tried violence and I don't think you enjoyed it very much."

"What makes you think I'd enjoy sex any better," she muttered.

"Experience," he told her.

That was the wrong answer. Alex could see it in her face that his experience was not a selling point for Lilith. Of course it wasn't, and he should have known better. Why would she see anything positive about giving herself to someone like him?

He was a pleasure slave who'd been used by more witches than he could even count. Experience like that gave him skills, but it was hardly a recommendation for a witch like Lilith. It shouldn't have mattered to him what she thought, but it did. It mattered more than he cared to admit.

"I dunno…"

"It's still hammering through you- the _safframate_\- isn't it?" he queried.

Lilith's eyes closed in defeat. "Yes."

"Well what are you going to do about it?"

"I just- I don't think I could do it."

"You heard me before, Lilith, and I meant it. I know things that would help but wouldn't cross that line."

She was about to protest again when Alex pressed his lips to hers. It wasn't a fair tactic, considering that the _safframate_ put odds in his favor. But Alex wasn't in the mood to play fair. They didn't have the luxury of time to keep arguing if she was going to make it through tonight in one piece. And damn it felt good to kiss her. She felt good- better than he expected. Alex forced himself to back away. Lilith wrapped her arms around herself and stared at him, expression haunted.

"You're not going to stop, are you?" Her voice was ragged. "If I say no now, you'll be back again and again. Until I say yes."

He nodded. "I'll be back."

She closed her eyes and turned away. "I'm so tired. Tired of fighting me." She waved a hand in his direction. "Tired of fighting you. Tired of fighting this damned drug that's trying to rip me apart."

"You don't have to fight it. Let me help."

"Prince, I…"

"Alex," he interrupted her.

"What?"

"My name is Alex." He reached out to bring her gaze back to him. "You should use it."

Lilith opened her mouth as if to speak, and closed it again. Her brows knitted together with worry as she finally found enough of her voice to answer him.

"Alex…I'm not sure I can do this. Any of this."

"Trust me."

He waited then, knowing this would be up to her now. Strange that he was asking a witch to trust him. No witch trusted him, but he hoped she would- wanted her to. It was terrifying.

As for Lilith, she seemed just as unsettled, indecision plain on her face. Alex wondered why he saw sadness and a flurry of other confusing emotions cloud her eyes. But he didn't ask. He simply waited, until she nodded at last. Whether she thought this was the best idea, Alex wasn't sure, but she'd agreed. He put her hand in his and led her to his bedroom.

**2/Terreille**

What had she done? Lilith tried to keep her breathing even as Alex led her to his bedroom. This wasn't supposed to happen. She never wanted him to feel like he had to do this. She'd tried to run away last night in the corridor just to prevent it. Because she'd known if he got her in his suite, he'd feel obligated to do the 'right thing'. Never mind the fact that he didn't want to. And who could blame him? The Queens of Hayll had forced him and tortured him into doing this his whole life. Of course he'd never want to take a witch to bed.

Well, she'd tried, dammit. Tried so hard to drive him away before he could make that kind of sacrifice on her behalf. It had almost worked, too. Despite the ferocity of the _safframate_, she'd lasted almost a whole day. True it had come at a heavy cost. She'd nearly broken her mind while trying to keep him away. But she'd done it.

And the more time she spent arguing with him, the more she risked damaging him before he'd get free of here. No one would thank her if she delivered Alex home in worse shape than how she'd found him. And she didn't want to think about the lectures she'd get if she actually wandered too far into the Twisted Kingdom.

It had been all too embarrassing that Alex had caught her at a particularly weak moment and she'd cried in front of him. Lilith couldn't remember the last time anyone had seen her cry, much less witnessed the kind of pain he'd likely seen. Mortifying. At least she wasn't the only one feeling mildly uncomfortable, though.

She'd seen the look on Alex's face when he'd realized what he'd shouted at her. His words painted an all too vivid picture of what kind of torture Meredith had put him through. Lilith was enduring it just this once; he'd endured it for centuries. She could only imagine the kind of soul pain that left in him. It had been very obvious that he'd wished he hadn't revealed even a part of it to her.

All the more reason why she shouldn't have agreed to do this. Even if they weren't going to have sex- and they damn well weren't- Lilith should have turned down the offer. The spasms weren't as strong now, and she felt that maybe she could maintain her balance until the _safframate_ passed her system. She should have said no. But he kept coming back. What was she supposed to do?

And then Lilith thought of what this meant to her. If she went through with this, she'd be breaking long-standing oaths. Serious oaths. Ones she'd made to keep herself- and the Blood- protected. Hadn't the lesson she'd learned the last time been enough to keep her from repeating her mistakes?

Apparently not, because here she was, making the biggest mistake she ever could have made. Arguably, this was even worse than the last time.

Lilith considered the risks of making an escape. It had been too dangerous before when the strength of the drug was waxing, but now that it had lessened, maybe she could survive out there. But something told her that if she ran now, the opportunity to finish what she came to Draega to do would be lost. Forever.

She was trapped. Hopelessly trapped.

**3/Terreille**

Lilith looked like she was being led to her execution, eyes downcast and grim. Alex couldn't help feeling somewhat demoralized. Obviously this wasn't how either of them would have planned to spend the evening, but it wasn't the worst thing that could have happened.

Some might say it was an offer of a lifetime.

No other witch in Terreille could claim she'd spent a night in bed with him at his invitation. And they all wanted to. But not Lilith. She would have gone back to pacing- or worse- if he'd let her. Even drugged with _safframate_, she wasn't interested in him.

He lit a few tapers of witchlight in the room. Lilith cast a worried look around- particularly towards the bed. Best not to let her get too focused on that. Alex turned her to face him and settled his hands at her waist.

"It'll be okay, Lilith. I told you- we're not going to cross any lines you can't handle. Believe me that I have experience enough to know what I'm doing."

A stricken look flashed in her eyes, like she'd been hit. Alex kicked himself inwardly for bringing that up again. He'd meant it to be comforting and she acted like…well, definitely not like a woman who'd been comforted.

What the hell should he say to fix it? Centuries of experience bedding witches and Alex wasn't sure any of it was going to help him. He didn't appreciate the irony.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing."

"That's a lie and we both know it."

"It's nothing you can help, Prince."

"Alex," he reminded her.

She colored and took a breath. "That is going to be difficult to manage."

"In this room, I'm Alex. Out there," he gestured to the room beyond the door, "I'm Prince DeSade. But not in here, and definitely not tonight."

"Okay."

Alex hoped she'd remember that. He had no desire to hear her call out anything other than his name. Only the bitch Queens and their covens preferred using his caste- reminding him that he wasn't a person. Just a toy to be used.

Lilith wasn't one of them, but Alex couldn't trust what memories would be dredged up. She looked nervous, and he wondered if he ought to tell her why he'd made a point about it. After all, she didn't want him to hurt her and more than he did.

But was that the real reason he'd wanted her to use his name? Honestly, no. In those moments when passion would make her desperate and wanton, he just needed to hear her say it. Alex was seized suddenly by an intense jolt of desire, and he hesitated. Maybe he should be more concerned whether he could keep in control of himself like he'd promised.

**4/Terreille**

The silence was starting to make Lilith feel very self-conscious. She hadn't wanted to do this, but now that they were here, she hoped to get it over with before she died of embarrassment. Or the _safframate_ robbed her of any coherent thought and she let this go further than she'd already agreed. Another spasm was squeezing every nerve in her body, reminding Lilith why Alex had made this offer in the first place. Her vision blurred from trying to concentrate on breathing and not fainting.

"It's got you again, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, it does."

He leant towards her, holding Lilith in place when she tried to back away. Mother Night, he was kissing her again. She felt awkward and shy, never having had any practice at this. Didn't seem to stop him. Alex played his lips over hers like an expert musician at an instrument. Lilith slowly found the rhythm, and the kiss deepened between them. His tongue swept possessively over hers, while he taught her how to make forays of her own.

For a moment, she forgot why they were here, lost in sensation. It felt so damn good. Lilith heard a growl and was surprised that it had come from her. How'd she do that?

Alex was still kissing her when Lilith realized he'd unbuttoned the shirt she'd been wearing. She had no idea when that happened. But now she was acutely aware that it hung partly open in front.

Mother Night, she wasn't wearing anything beneath it. _Safframate_ or not, the thought that Alex could see her was unsettling. Lilith's hand immediately clutched at the edges to draw it closed again. She broke the kiss and tried to back away from him. Alex wouldn't let her.

"Lilith, you don't have to run."

"Easy for you to say. You're not the one standing here half naked."

Something flashed in his eyes, but was gone too quickly for her to know what it was. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"It could be arranged if you want."

Now she did manage to break free. Lilith felt her throat close up with a nervous squeak and she started pacing again. This was a mistake. She couldn't do this.

"No, that's not what I had in mind!"

He studied her. "Okay…obviously that was a bad idea."

"Is any of this a good idea? Alex, I don't think this is going to work."

"Sure it will- you were doing fine a minute ago."

"Minute's over."

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed heavily. "I hadn't expected it to be this difficult- for either of us," he admitted.

His words doused her like a bucket of cold water, reminding Lilith again that Alex wasn't looking forward to doing any of this. She clutched the shirt tighter and tried to avoid eye contact.

"Maybe we just forget the whole thing."

Alex was silent for so long that Lilith thought he might finally agree with her. She turned her circuit towards the door, fumbling with the buttons that had come undone. He stood in her way. Nope, he wasn't letting her out now. For whatever stupid reasons, he was determined to see this through. And Lilith found that she couldn't do anything to stop him.

Alex closed the distance between them and drew her hands away from the shirt. Heat flooded her face and blood pounded in her ears. When one of his hands slipped inside to her waist, Lilith fought the instinct to back away.

Instead of kissing her on the mouth again, Alex brushed his lips against her neck. Lilith's pulse jumped as he worked his way to the collarbone and along her shoulder. The silk gave way and slid down her arm in a caress. Lilith held her breath as he worked the same magic along her other collarbone.

The shirt slipped low across her back. Alex smoothed his hands beneath it and up to her shoulders. Every nuance of his touch was intoxicating, designed to tease and enhance her senses. He knew exactly what he was doing. Lilith felt a twinge of guilt, knowing how Alex had become so skilled.

She couldn't help picturing what he might do with those skills, and a blush reached the tips of her ears. Lilith couldn't look at him. So she looked past him at the wall and prayed that she really could die of embarrassment. That thought must have been plain.

"Don't be self-conscious," he whispered close to her ear. "You don't have to worry about impressing me."

Meaning that he wasn't impressed. Lilith was sure he'd seen plenty of witches who would have, even if they were just using him. After all, she'd seen the witches in Meredith's coven. They might be cold-blooded bitches, but they were all very beautiful women. Lilith wasn't going to pretend that she could compete with them. She should just be grateful enough that Alex wouldn't make a big deal about it, but it still stung. She closed her eyes to hide her thoughts and tried to keep her tone even.

"What should I worry about?"

He brushed the back of his hand across her cheek.

"Nothing."

A smart ass comment hovered on the tip of her tongue, offering her a mental grip to put her back on balance. But before she could let it loose, Alex was kissing her again. A firestorm of sensation swept through her, and Lilith shuddered with a mix of pain and pleasure.

She didn't know how long they stood there, but Lilith began to feel a weakness in her knees. Could be all the standing and pacing. Could be that Alex's touch made her want to melt.

If she didn't do something soon, she might fall down. So Lilith considered doing something she knew wasn't wise- reaching out to him. But halfway to his shoulder, her hand hesitated and wouldn't budge. Alex paused for a moment, breaking the kiss.

"Lilith?"

"Uh huh?"

"It's all right to touch me. I promise you'll be just fine."

How many other witches had touched him? Lilith really didn't want to add her name to the list of women Alex had to endure. Wasn't it bad enough she was making him touch her? She couldn't bring herself to do it. Alex took her hands and placed them on his shoulders.

"There- nothing terrible happened. The world didn't end."

"Yeah, I guess not."

His hands returned to her waist, pulling her close against him. The shock of brushing against his clothes- not to mention the blatantly male body beneath them- was almost too much for her. If Lilith had been able to think, she might have tried to pull away. But oh he was kissing her again, and thoughts fizzled away. She kissed him back.

**5/Terreille**

Alex was…well, he wasn't sure. The feel of her pressed up against him was driving him crazy. But not how he expected. Mother Night, instead of the usual cold rage, he was filled with burning desire. And for one horrifying minute, he panicked that Meredith would sense it through the ring and swoop down on them. If she knew he was capable of real passion, she would finally have a way to break him.

But then Lilith moaned and Alex's thoughts turned back to the witch in his arms. Her eyes were unfocused and betrayed how much she needed him. No calculating meanness or cruel satisfaction. No fear that he would hurt her. Just lit with that inner fire of wanting.

Alex was surprised how powerfully that look affected him. He almost forgot what and who he was when she looked at him that way. It was so easy to think he was human like anyone else. But Alex forced himself back to reality, reminding himself that the only reason she was looking at him that way was because she couldn't help it.

Would it still be there if she weren't dosed with _safframate_? Alex caught himself wanting to find out.

Those were foolish and very dangerous thoughts to be having. He was ringed and she was still a witch. Even though she might not be like Meredith and the New Court, she was still a witch.

And he couldn't afford to let any witch get that close to finding out he was vulnerable. If she knew he wanted her that badly, she would have a powerful weapon against him. As much as he would hope she wouldn't use it, it wasn't worth the risk that she might.

It was time to take this a step further. Alex guided Lilith back towards his bed. She gained a little control of herself when she felt the brush of material at the backs of her knees. She tried to hold him away with her hands.

"I think I'll be okay now," she said. "There's no need to…"

"Lilith, we're not going over this again."

"But…" she glanced over her shoulder. "I dunno…"

Alex was sure that he looked very calm to Lilith, but on the inside, he was far from it. Every time she pulled away, he lost another hand hold of the control he needed. He wasn't sure how many more times he could endure it before he did something that they might both regret.

"Remember what I told you? Nothing to worry about."

She didn't look convinced, but didn't protest as Alex started again.


	7. Chapter 6: The Promise of Freedom

**1/Terreille**

Lilith surrendered, unable to fight anymore. The _safframate_ had put her body on Alex's side. She shivered and felt her bones melt against him. And then the cool silk sheets were beneath her feverish skin. Lilith stared at the ceiling, unable to look at anything else.

A weight settled on the bed next to her. Lilith's heart beat a desperate rhythm in her chest. _Don't screw this up_, she told herself. If she just quit arguing, he'd finish this quicker. At least she hoped so. After all, how long could this last if they weren't going to have sex?

Alex kissed her- slowly and deeply. Damn. No wonder witches risked his temper for this. Despite the pain brought on by the _safframate_, his touch was seductive. Addicting. Shattering, even. Lilith struggled to maintain her balance as he took them down an unknown dark road.

Caught up in the moment, she didn't care that he wasn't doing this because he wanted to. In fact, she didn't care that she shouldn't want to be doing this. She allowed herself to feel how she wanted to, and damn any thoughts of what she should be doing. And Mother Night how she didn't want this to end.

At one point, Alex paused. She said nothing as he stared down at her with a strange expression. Not bad, but she couldn't place it, either. Lilith couldn't ask him about what it meant. She was afraid of what his answer might be.

Lilith almost found the courage to say something when Alex kissed her again. It felt…different from the times they'd kissed before. Almost possessive. Lilith thought briefly that the intensity of it almost outshone the drug flowing through her. That feeling stayed with her long after he'd found some new way to distract her from the _safframate_.

Eventually, Alex pulled away to look at her. Lilith found herself struggling with the effort not to flush crimson with embarrassment. In the aftermath of such abandon, thoughts of guilt and recrimination drifted in. What should she say now? How could she get around this feeling of awkwardness.

"I imagine other women are more articulate at this point," she said reluctantly, breaking the silence.

"Other women tend to talk a lot without saying anything."

"I don't know what I'm supposed to do now."

Lilith heard the break in her voice and was horrified that she might start to cry…again. That was not the appropriate reaction to what he'd just done for her. She reached for some measure of control, but couldn't seem to find it.

It had all been too much. Her nerves were frayed to the point of breaking, and despite what they'd done, her body still hammered on with that relentless need. Lilith clapped a hand over her mouth, hoping to silence the sob that was trying to escape.

**2/Terreille**

Alex saw the tears in Lilith's eyes as she struggled not to cry. He tried not to take it personally. With all the stress she'd been under, he would be surprised if she wasn't having trouble keeping it together. But damn it hurt to see her so upset. She shouldn't feel so embarrassed about what they'd done. That's how he'd always felt when he'd serviced the court bitches. Alex didn't want her to feel those things about this. He certainly wasn't embarrassed or ashamed.

"Hey," he said, reaching out to stroke her hair. "You don't have to do anything."

"I knew I wouldn't be any good at this," she sniffed. "I'm _never_ going to be any good at this."

Where had she been? Certainly not here, because she would have known that she was more than just 'good'.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a basket case- a wreck. Normal people don't just fall apart."

"It's just the _safframate_ playing mind games with you again, that's all." He tried to get her to look at him, but she wouldn't. "Lilith, you're being too hard on yourself."

"I'm not. I'm making a disaster out of this and maybe it's a good thing. All the more proof for you to see why I can't go any further, because I'm sure I would have found a way to make an even bigger disaster of that."

Self-doubt was written all over her face. Lilith honestly believed that she'd done something wrong. How could she think that?

He couldn't deny that he felt a fierce need to finish what they started. The only reason he'd been able to stop was knowing she was a virgin. If not for that…images of what he would have done next filled his head. Alex tried to quell his body's response and failed miserably.

Maybe that was what spurred him to answer her with the first thing that came to mind.

"I'd prove you wrong if you let me."

Lilith bolted upright, eyes dilated in shock.

"_WHAT?_"

"I could prove to you that you could be very good, if you'd let me."

"You can't possibly know for sure."

"I most certainly can. You were better than 'just good' at what we were just doing."

"Maybe so, but that's no guarantee that I'd be any good at…" she paused, "well…_that_."

Alex knew better, and thought he knew of a way to end the argument. He leaned towards her and unleashed the sexual pull that was a part of who and what he was. She drew back from him.

"What are you doing?"

"Letting you know that there's only one way to know for sure."

"What possible interest can you have to find out?"

She was definitely naïve about men if she was asking that question. Any man would be interested to claim her. Alex admitted to himself he was no exception. But it wasn't just wanting a beautiful body. That he could have ignored.

Alex was interested because he wanted to possess her- every part of her. He'd kept telling himself that he'd indulge in the foreplay because that was safe. Bedding her and crossing the line to take her virginity- that he'd considered too risky.

So he'd told himself they were better off if he let her go intact. She'd be able to take that step on a different day when she could choose the man. A man that wouldn't be him. Alex growled at that thought and realized he was not going to let that happen. The hell with what was safe.

"I'm very interested."

"But why?"

He couldn't answer without betraying more than he felt comfortable revealing, so Alex did the next best thing. He pulled Lilith up against him. Even a virgin could tell he was aroused. She would know that he wanted her. Judging by the way her eyes widened in shock, his guess was right. A fleeting look of guilt flashed in them, and then it was gone.

"I didn't realize that what we did would cause…" she trailed off. "I guess I should have asked."

"It wouldn't have mattered if you had. I wouldn't have done anything differently."

She nodded.

"You haven't given me an answer."

"I really shouldn't."

"Why not?"

Lilith paled dramatically. "I have my reasons," she said finally.

"Which are?"

"Mine to keep."

Her words rang with conviction. Obviously, whatever her reasons, they were more than worry over the Virgin Night. Alex told himself that he should just end it there. But he found he couldn't. He wanted her, and he meant to have her.

"I promise you'd never forget it."

"That promise can go one of two ways you know," she snapped at him.

"Not tonight."

"Have you even done this before?"

Sex…oh definitely yes. Giving a witch her Virgin Night…not so much. But his Jewels gave him an advantage. They were dark enough that it was unlikely she'd be in danger of walking away broken, even with the _safframate_.

"I can do this, Lilith."

"Well, at least one of us thinks so."

"Is that a lack of faith in me, or are you doubting yourself again?"

She snarled under her breath and said something he couldn't quite understand. Alex thought better of asking her what it was. And then she sucked in a sharp breath. The _safframate_ had her again. Alex captured one of her hands in his and held it until it passed. His other hand smoothed circles over her back. Gradually, she pulled out of the spasm.

"It's not as bad, but it still won't leave me alone," she whispered hoarsely.

"I'd guess that it'll pass by morning, but definitely not before then."

"Damn."

Alex could think of much more colorful things to say. Lilith sighed heavily.

"How much does it help?"

"An idle question, or are you serious?"

"Were you serious?"

"I was."

"Then so am I."

Alex considered for a moment before he answered her question. He didn't want to lie to her, but he didn't want to risk telling her something that might chase her away.

"Honestly, I don't know. If this was any other situation and you weren't…"

"A virgin."

"Yeah. It makes things a little more unpredictable and…complicated."

"Everything I do is complicated. Just once I wish something would be easy."

Having no good reply, Alex chose to say nothing. Neither of them spoke or moved for several minutes. He told himself again that he ought to let her go. If she didn't want this, he was only making it harder for her to say no. Was that any better than what the bitch Queens put him through?

In some ways, Alex thought it could be worse. At least they never pretended they were doing anything other than torturing him. He never had to feel anything but hate and resentment towards them. But he'd told her that he was trying to help, and she believed him. Alex almost convinced himself to let Lilith go when she spoke again.

"If you're sure that your offer is sincere…"

"Of course it is."

"Then I accept."

When the initial shock wore off, Alex could only think of one thing to say. "Mother Night."

"And may the Darkness be merciful."

She was giving him her virginity. No witch had ever given him anything, let alone something as personal as this. Alex had only one regret, surprisingly. He wished he were able to do this as a free man. Lilith was bound to notice the Ring of Obedience he wore. Even if he put a sight shield over it, he'd know it was there. Just one more thing in his life that would be tainted by those bitches.

Alex pushed that thought aside. There wasn't anything he could do about it.

**3/Terreille**

Lilith couldn't believe what she'd agreed to. Letting Alex touch her and do all those other wonderfully amazing things was not smart; letting him give her a Virgin Night was beyond reckless. She tried to blame it on all the _safframate_, but found that she couldn't. She admitted to herself that she'd agreed because she wanted to.

Alex's expression was unreadable. Lilith hoped that when this was over, he wouldn't regret it as much as she feared. Would he hate her for making him feel like he had to do this for her?

"Lilith?"

And suddenly she was blushing again. Why couldn't she stop doing that? Lilith wished she could pretend that she had some experience. It had to be that much more irritating for him to deal with her than Meredith's coven. To her horror, she couldn't stop from saying so.

"I wish I weren't such a trial. This can't be very fun for you."

"You shouldn't worry about that."

A beat of silence passed between them, and then Lilith felt her temper flare.

"If you tell me once more that I shouldn't be worried about anything, I could very well throttle you."

They were nose to nose as she snarled at him. Despite the sincerity of her tone, Alex was holding back a laugh. Lilith continued to glare at him for a minute or so, and then the lunacy of the threat struck her. She rolled her eyes and bit her lip to stifle a giggle.

"All right, I probably won't, but I don't need to hear it again."

"Then what do you need to hear?"

"I don't know. I told you I'm not good at this," she mumbled. "You'd think that this damned drug they gave me could at least be useful for one thing and keep me focused."

Now it was Alex's turn to stare at her in silence.

"I'm sure this would be different if you had been given a choice of who took you to bed," he muttered to himself.

Lilith was taken aback by the comment. So was he. Seems her tongue wasn't the only one that wouldn't hold silent.

"I'm sure I'd be equally as bad no matter who was with me."

"But you might not be so concerned about it if you'd gotten that chance."

"What are you talking about?"

Alex was downcast and serious. "I mean if you could have had a choice, you wouldn't have wanted to do this with a pleasure slave you just met."

"What difference does it make that you're a pleasure slave?"

Lilith asked the question, but felt she knew what was really bothering him. Of course she had a choice. She could walk away and that would be the end of it. But he felt he didn't. Because he was a pleasure slave, and this is what he'd been trained to do. He'd think she expected that he should do this for her, even if she did tell him not to. That's why she'd tried not to let him get this far.

But then Alex surprised her.

"It matters, Lilith. I'm not the same as an ordinary man. I'm…" he stopped short.

She could almost feel the word he'd been unable to say. Tainted. Pain and shame lurked in the depths of his eyes. Lilith was filled with sadness and rage as she realized that he thought she saw him that way. Those bitches had done this to him and made him think that he was less of a person because they'd used him. She risked opening herself up a little, hoping that she could help him understand. He'd done so much already to try to help her. She wanted to give something back.

"You're wrong. They've taken your freedom from you, Alex, but they can't have what's in here-" she laid a hand over his heart. "Not if you don't let them have it."

"There's no letting them have anything. They take what they want because there's no way to stop them."

"There's always some way."

"Dammit, Lilith, I'm _ringed_. Every damn day of my life is what it is because that's what _they _want from me. They own this body and have done whatever they liked with it for centuries. You can never understand what that's like. Do you have any idea what that leaves a man with on the inside? Nothing worth anything."

Alex looked as though he wished he could have those words left unsaid. He'd probably never admitted those thoughts aloud to anyone. Perhaps not even to himself. She didn't expect that he would have chosen to her to be the one to hear them. But she had. And there was only one thing she could do that might give him some peace. She would free him.

Wasn't that part of what she'd come to this court to do? This hadn't exactly been the way she'd planned it, but why waste the chance?

And maybe if she freed him now, they could forget the Virgin Night. He wouldn't feel obligated anymore. She'd be off the hook; He'd be off the hook. And the ordeal would be over. She berated herself for not thinking of it earlier.

"If you were free- if they didn't have you chained to their leash anymore- would it be different?"

"I honestly don't know."

"Would you want that freedom anyway?"

"Only every day of my life," he said bitterly. "But wanting has little to do with it."

"You could be free right now," she said quietly.

"You're lying."

"No, I'm not."

"Then you obviously don't understand how the Ring of Obedience I wear works," he said with a brittle, sharp laugh.

"I broke free of the first Ring they tried on me, so they agreed to try one they'd never wanted to use on anyone. There's a spell worked into it that ensured the wearer wouldn't ever get free. It can only be unlocked by a witch who wears the Ebon-Gray. That means that not even Meredith can remove it now. Not even if she wanted to."

Alex closed his eyes in pain as he continued.

"The bloodlines of Hayll are failing. A handful of witches left who wear anything darker than the Opal in the past century. They'll never produce a witch wearing dark Jewels like that. And even if they did, the New Court would kill her long before she got to me. So you see, no one is ever going to free me, Lilith. I'll spend the rest of my life whored to those bitches until I can't take it anymore."

The hopelessness she heard in his voice ripped into her. Lilith let out a breath and took another chance.

"Alex, I can do it."

The room grew silent. Lilith had been hoping to free him without revealing any of her Jewels, and definitely nothing darker than Sapphire. But the explanation of his Ring made that impossible. Now she waited to hear what Alex would say. He shook his head at her.

"You've been here for almost a day and a half. I think I would have noticed that you wore the Ebon-Gray."

Lilith reluctantly dropped the illusion hiding her Jewels and called them in. Alex stared at the pendant that hung between her breasts. An uncut Jewel glittered in the witchlight, caught in a net of silver strands. He said nothing for a long time. Lilith finally got up the nerve to speak.

"I always keep them hidden. No one was ever supposed to know that I wear these."

"You're a Black Widow."

She dropped the sight shield on her left ring finger, revealing the snaketooth that marked her caste as one of the Hourglass Coven. Alex stared first at her finger, and then back to her Jewels. He said nothing more to her, waiting for an explanation. Lilith nodded.

"Yes, I was born a natural Black Widow. I've used my Craft to protect myself however I could when I'm in Draega." She didn't mention that she was using it to keep a few other things hidden as well.

"Were you planning to tell me any of this before the night was over?"

"Nothing about this has gone as I planned it to go."

"Yes or no- were you going to tell me?"

"Well I guess I was going to have to, eventually."

"And just when were you going to do it?"

Anger had gathered in his eyes. Lilith could guess why. He felt he'd been tricked- played the fool. This was dangerous. If his rage turned cold and focused on her, Alex could destroy her. And to stop him, she might have no choice but to hurt him…or kill him.

Unacceptable. So she went for an explanation that she hoped would catch him off guard enough to shift his temper.

"The whole point of coming to Draega was to smuggle you out of the court. I promised your sister I would come back, and wouldn't return unless I had you with me."

It worked. The anger was swiftly transformed into disbelief. "Sister?"

"Yes. Last time I was here in Draega, I got close enough to Meredith's court to realize who you were. Since I wasn't prepared to make an escape then, I went back home and told her about it. She swore not to tell your father, but only if I promised to get you out of Hayll as soon as I could. Here I am. Believe me- this was _not _part of the promise."

"What wasn't?"

Lilith gestured to them in the bed. "This, for starters. I hadn't planned that Meredith would dose me with _safframate_\- or that you of all people would wind up in the corridor to interrupt Grael. I didn't think when she caught me stealing the Rings in the storage room and replacing them with fake ones that she'd be that pissed off. Apparently, I was very wrong."

"They caught you doing what?"

"I switched all the Rings in the court for fakes. My plan was to get caught when I'd finished, and get hauled into a tribunal with all of them." She paused. "At least _that_ worked out as planned."

"So by now they've switched all your fake Rings for real ones again."

Lilith shook her head. "Anything they find will be a fake. There isn't a real Ring left they could use now."

"Mother Night."

"It's not as big a deal as it sounds."

Alex looked at her dubiously for a moment before he said anything.

"I heard two witches saying that a few Warlords had attacked one of the coven witches, and their Rings hadn't worked. That was because of you, wasn't it?"

"Yes, I set them all free earlier today."

"Why are they still here, then?"

"I told them to take the Winds to somewhere safe tomorrow evening. After what happened with that other witch, I couldn't damn well have them causing more of an uproar before I figured out how to get you out of here."

"You really mean it, don't you."

"Yes, I really do." Lilith sighed. "So, I'm telling you…okay, asking you…do you want to be free?"

**4/Terreille**

Alex had never wanted something so badly in his life. She sat there, his one chance for freedom. He wondered if she really understood what kind of power she'd be unleashing once she removed the Ring. So far, he'd only used the Red. Lilith probably thought it was his Jewel of rank, since he hadn't noticed the illusion spell hiding her Ebon-Gray.

That was a different puzzle altogether. He should have noticed it. But Alex set it aside for now. Would she still offer to free him if she knew he wore Jewels that outranked hers? Once he was free, there'd be nothing holding him back from doing anything he wanted. She might wonder if that included taking revenge on the first witch he saw- rescuer or not.

But she was offering, and Alex wasn't about to say no.

"Yes, I do."

"All right." She blew out a breath. "I'll do it, then."

Lilith looked as daunted as she sounded. Not surprising. She closed her eyes and seemed to focus for a few moments. The Ebon-gray Jewel in her pendant glowed. Alex didn't say anything, but noticed that her brow furrowed. A few choice curses escaped her and she opened her eyes again.

"What?"

"The other Rings could all be keyed using Craft. I thought this one worked the same way," she mumbled reluctantly.

"I'm guessing it doesn't?"

"No, whoever made this wanted to be sure that the witch had to be in the same room."

"Why's that?"

"Because it has to be keyed by touch."

Well, that could be awkward. Alex could see the blush rising in her face again as she realized what she'd have to do. He almost considered telling her not to worry about it, but remembered her warning earlier. So he said nothing as Lilith gathered up her nerve to do this. Several times he saw her move a hand towards him and hesitate. Alex waited patiently, even though it was killing him.

"Get it together and grow up, Lilith," she hissed.

Alex held his breath as her index finger slid across the metallic surface of his Ring. The spell released with a suddenness that shuddered through him. The gold band loosened at her touch. Lilith gently slipped it off and tossed the Ring on the bed between them. Only then did she look at him, color still burning across her cheeks.

"It's done. They can't use your body to make you do what they want anymore. You're free now to be whatever you're meant to be, Alex."

"And what's that?"

"I don't know," she replied with a shake of her head. "That's up to you."

Alex felt like she'd looked right into his soul and had put it into his hands. How did she understand so much of what he'd felt and suffered inside on account of what those bitches did to him? And yet she believed every word of what she'd just told him.

He wasn't sure if he could have that much faith. Meredith and her coven hadn't just tortured and raped his body, they'd ripped apart his soul for so long that he wasn't sure that there was any part of him they hadn't tainted in some way. But Lilith believed there was. It scared the living hell out of him.

She started to move away, but Alex held her in place.

"Where are you going?" Lilith didn't answer. "You thought that this would get you out of a Virgin Night, didn't you?"

"I'm really feeling much better…so maybe there's no need to do something so drastic now."

"You're feeling better because you were distracted. You won't be distracted anymore and it'll all come rushing back at you."

"Is there any reason I can give that would convince you that we shouldn't do this?"

Alex could think of just one. He didn't want to tell her, afraid that Lilith might actually get away. But after what she'd just done for him, he owed it to her to be honest.

"Tell me you don't want to do this and I'll let you go."

For a few minutes, Lilith was silent. Every second that ticked by was one more in his favor. If she'd been certain, Lilith would have answered right away. When she finally did answer, it was more to herself than to him.

"I can't say it."

"Then that settles it- you're staying right here."

First things first. Alex scooped up the Ring she'd dropped and set it on the nightstand. He didn't want that anywhere near him when he finally finished what they'd started. And since she hadn't told him not to, he was determined to finish it.


	8. Chapter 7: The Lure of Oblivion

**1/Terreille**

Well, that hadn't gone as expected. Obviously, Alex still felt obligated to do this, even though she'd removed the Ring. Maybe she'd made it worse. Now instead of feeling free, he felt he owed her that much more.

Stupid mistake. She should have considered that outcome. Should have remembered the bedrock at the core of what he was. A Warlord Prince like him wouldn't give up once he'd decided what he thought was right.

He'd given her a way out, though. Lilith would be safe in the other room right now if she'd been able to say four words. But when the moment came, she found she couldn't do it. This wouldn't- couldn't- end well for her. But knowing that still hadn't been enough to force out the words.

She watched as he set the Ring deliberately on the nightstand. Then he reached for her. This was it. Lilith knew there'd be no more distractions or debates. He meant to claim what she'd promised him. Would she survive the pain she knew would be waiting for her when it was over?

Alex's arms slid around her waist. They were so close that Lilith could feel the pounding of his heart echoing hers. Boldly, she laid a trembling hand on his chest. The muscles contracted under her fingers. Did she dare to do anything more? Alex hadn't stopped her. Lilith guided her hand over his collarbone and shoulder.

She bent her neck, letting her hair fall against his bare skin. Warm breath whispered in her ear. Lilith heard no words, just a ragged sound that sent shivers through her. He cradled the back of her head in his palm. Mother Night, a witch could get addicted to this. Lilith suspected that she already was.

"Alex?"

She didn't know the expression that filled his eyes when he heard her call his name. But he must have known what she was asking, even if she didn't. That last thought gave her pause. Hell's fire, this was going to happen.

"Lilith- are you ready?"

"Yes, Alex, I'm ready."

"This will hurt," he whispered.

"I know. I want you to do it, anyway."

**2/Terreille**

Well, he'd done what she asked. And now Lilith's face was pressed against his neck, hot tears scalding his skin. In six hundred years Alex had seen plenty of witches cry because he'd hurt them. Many had screamed and begged for him to give them mercy. He'd never once felt any remorse or guilt about the way he'd tortured them. After all, none of them had felt any mercy when they'd tortured him. So their tears hadn't hurt him.

But Lilith's did. Mother Night, the sound of them was as bad as anything the bitches had put him through. Alex knew he deserved it for tearing her apart. She may have told him to, but Lilith didn't know what was going to happen. He wasn't as ignorant.

That hadn't stopped him from spending the better part of two days seducing her and trying to get her into his bed. An honorable man wouldn't have- would have let her go. Alex didn't even have the excuse that he was ringed to justify what he'd done. No one had him literally by the balls, forcing him to do this. Did he need any more proof than that to believe that he'd been tainted? Not really. His actions spoke for themselves.

His fingers stroked her hair gently, and he noticed how they shook.

"Lilith, I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "Don't be. I don't want you to be sorry for this."

Oh but he was. Alex managed to tell her a half-truth.

"I'm sorry you're hurting."

"The worst has passed."

He wasn't sure he believed her, but Lilith's breathing steadied. Slowly, she drew back until he could see her face. Her eyes were still tear bright. And then she gave him a tremulous smile. The impact of it hit him like a punch to the stomach. Mother Night was she beautiful. Alex couldn't resist giving her a soft, undemanding kiss.

"Lilith- I know what I promised. I don't know if this will get better or worse if I go on."

"Are you asking me something?"

"I don't want to make this any worse for you."

She nodded, but seemed uncertain how to reply. Alex hesitated before continuing his thought aloud.

"But I would like a chance to make it better."

"I think…" she began again. "I think I'd like that, too."

She was either very brave or very crazy if she believed that it would get better. But Lilith had given him enough encouragement to go on. That's what he'd do.

**3/Terreille**

Lilith wasn't sure what to expect, or why she'd taken such a huge risk. Okay, that was a lie. She knew damned well why. Pretend all she wanted, but Lilith knew a part of her never intended to escape this fate. The part of her who'd wanted to revel in this night- the only night she could ever have- when she could be with him like this.

Alex was the only one she would have ever broken her oaths for. No other person could have tempted her that much. With his Jewels and his caste and the kind of Warlord Prince she knew he was inside…Lilith could almost believe that if she told him the truth about her, he'd be able to accept it. And maybe they'd have more than this one night.

Foolish day dreams, that's all they could ever be. And since she knew she couldn't have more, she'd take this night and never look back.

**4/Terreille**

In the aftermath of their passion, Alex strove to recover his equilibrium, heart racing. He was still shocked that he'd lost all control in the first place. Hell, he was surprised that it had happened for either of them. _Safframate_ usually blocked the ability to achieve sexual release. It must have waned enough to allow her that much.

He stared at Lilith, who was still finding her way back. Her surrender had been so complete that she had lost all sense of self. She'd also lost something Alex doubted she'd intended. An illusion spell.

In addition to the ones she'd already revealed, Lilith had been maintaining another she'd failed to mention. But it was swept away now, and Alex was coming to terms with the knowledge that he hadn't taken an Ebon-Gray witch to bed. He'd taken an Ebon-Gray Queen to bed.

What was he going to do now that he knew? Obviously, she'd kept it a secret for a reason. Alex could guess of at least one. He admitted that if he'd known, it could have made things complicated, if not dangerous. Meredith had taught him to hate and torture Queens. He may have seen the Queen first and the woman second. Still, it stung that she'd lied to him.

Lilith seemed to revive a little. The illusions snapped up so quickly that Alex almost felt it. She blinked and the unfocused look faded from her eyes. Alex chose to say nothing about what he'd discovered.

"Hell's fire, when you said you wanted to make it better, you really meant it."

"Of course I did."

They both fell silent, until Alex could think of something to say to her.

"I'm probably very heavy."

"Oh…I…" she glanced down and back to him. "I guess so, maybe."

He withdrew and that's when he saw all the blood. Alex went numb with horror, memories of her in pain, crying, resurfaced suddenly. What had he done to her?

"Mother Night."

Lilith looked before he could stop her. She paled and swallowed carefully.

"I had no idea it would be so…"

"It's the dark Jewels you wear," he told her, trying to convince himself at the same time. "It's always worse the darker they are."

"Oh." She paused. "These are most likely ruined. I didn't think of that, either."

Alex snarled when she reached towards a bloodied sheet. Lilith looked startled, eyes wide. Her hand froze and she shook her head.

"Okay, obviously that set off something, so we won't be doing anything with those."

"No, you won't."

"I won't?"

She looked confused and wary. Alex sighed.

"Why don't you shower and clean up? I'll take care of this."

"But…"

"Lilith, it reminds me of what I had to do to you, and that's what sets me on edge."

"Oh."

"I need to be the one to deal with it- not you. Understand?"

A beat of silence. Lilith's eyes fell to her lap for a second. Only a second. But Alex felt uneasy when she looked at him again.

"I understand."

**5/Terreille**

Lilith understood all too clearly. Now that the moment had passed, reality set in. The words rang in her ears. What he _had _to do to her. A reminder that he'd only done it because he felt he had to. She tried not to feel bruised. After all, she'd been telling herself that's all this could ever be, hadn't she? Hollow comfort now.

She must have been quiet for a long time. Alex was looking at her oddly.

"Lilith?"

"What?"

"Were you going to shower?"

"I suppose that would be a good idea." She glanced around. "Where?"

Alex pointed to a door opposite the way they'd come in. "Just through there."

Lilith scooted to the edge of the bed and stood. A trickle down the inside of her leg made her hurry across the room more quickly than she would have liked. She slipped through the door and closed it behind her. Now that she was out of his sight, she took inventory of herself. A pinkish rivulet of blood spidered down to her left knee. Unpleasant. But other than that, not much to be concerned about.

She supposed that she ought to be grateful that her illusions hadn't failed her. They could have- should have, actually. But they'd held. Alex didn't know what she was, thank the Darkness. Lilith didn't want to think about what might happen to her if he did. She couldn't go through it again. Especially not now. Not after they'd done this.

With a sigh, she stepped into the shower and turned on the water. It sluiced over her skin for several minutes while she tried to let go of any thoughts of tonight. Lilith called in her soap and scrubbed clean. She'd nearly finished when her body clenched.

The _safframate_. Alex had warned her that it would be back when the distractions faded. She braced her hands against the wall and waited for the spasm to pass. He was right about the sex, though. It had taken some of the edge off, making things a little more bearable.

When Lilith felt normal again, she shut the water off and stepped out of the shower. She was nearly toweled dry when Alex walked in. Lilith switched to drying her hair so she wouldn't be tempted to stare at him. Or do something stupid like throw herself into his arms again.

Neither of them spoke, even though it seemed he wanted to say something. But Lilith was too afraid she knew what it would be, and found she couldn't bear hearing it. After what he'd already said, this could be ten times worse. So she escaped back to the rest of the suite.

Alex had taken care of the sheets as he'd said he would. The bed looked as if no one had been in it. A blank slate. Maybe that's how she should think of the rest of tonight. A blank slate ready to start over with no record of what had just happened.

That might be easier if she weren't walking around stark naked. Lilith called in some clothes and debated which ones she could tolerate wearing for the night. She'd narrowed it down to two options when she heard footsteps behind her.

"What are you doing?"

"I thought I'd see if I had anything that wouldn't be too difficult to wear."

"Were you planning on leaving?"

Good question. Alex was free and her task was done. They could head for his family home right now before anyone suspected something was wrong. That sounded like a better plan than the awkwardness of staying here. At least the journey would give her focus. And then she could see him delivered to his family and go back to her life.

Alex turned her around to face him, hands on her shoulders.

"Lilith, you're not going anywhere."

"We don't have to stay here anymore. You're free- we're both free. If we left here tonight, we could reach your family in two days."

"You're not going anywhere," he repeated in a low, deadly calm voice.

An Ebon-Black shield went up inside the Red. Lilith weighed her options. Obviously, Alex had no intention on leaving tonight. She could pacify him and give up the argument. Or she could tell him his shield couldn't keep her in the suite and negotiate some way to leave.

But he had that look Warlord Princes get when they won't budge. Lilith knew that look well. More unsettling than that, something more dangerous lurked beneath it. She might as well save her breath and admit defeat.

"Okay, fine. Forget I even brought it up."

"Since you're not going anywhere- why bother with the clothes?"

Because without them, this would only make this harder, and tempted her to do stupid things. But Lilith couldn't say that to him, so she shrugged.

"Seemed like a good idea." Silence. "Apparently not."

"You don't have to be worried about spending the night here."

"I'm not worried."

"Then what is the matter?"

"Nothing. Look, I'm exhausted and…" she sighed, running a distracted hand through her damp hair. "I dunno."

The hard look in his eyes softened a little. "Exactly my point. You should just try to get some sleep if you can. You don't need clothes for that."

"You expect me to sleep in here, don't you?"

"Where else?"

There was no winning. Lilith gave up. How could she battle a man with the stubbornness of a brick wall? Definitely couldn't do it when her brain was only half working.

"All right, I give up. Where else, indeed." She vanished the clothes.

"Good."

He took her by the hand and steered her to the bed. Lilith felt self-conscious as she lay down. At least before she knew what to expect. Now she wasn't quite sure what Alex would do.

**6/Terreille**

Alex relaxed when Lilith got into bed. When he thought she was going to leave, something inside him had reacted violently. He couldn't remember having consciously made the choice to create an Ebon-Black shield. But in that moment, he'd wanted to be sure she couldn't leave.

What was the matter with him? Shouldn't he want to escape this city as soon as possible? Any sane man would. He couldn't find any rational reason to stay here. But Alex wanted her here tonight. When he saw Lilith there in the bed- his bed- that feeling solidified into a single word burning through him. _Mine_. He realized that he'd been having that feeling since he first took her to bed. It scared him.

Lilith curled up on her side and pulled a sheet over her body. Alex fought the impulse to uncover her again. In truth, he was fighting the impulse to do a whole lot more. Mother Night, he wanted her again. If he didn't know better, he'd swear he'd been drugged with _safframate_. But he couldn't blame drugs on this.

Alex was horrified at the thought he was being betrayed by his own body. Even though he'd been having sex most of his life, there was nothing about it he thought he would ever crave. Alex had a feeling that what he'd had with Lilith wasn't sex. He just didn't know what it was.

With that unsettling thought, Alex sighed and slipped into bed. He made no move to touch Lilith, afraid he might not stop. Even if she might want- or need- him to, he doubted her body would be up for it. She'd be sore for a few days yet.

Okay, thoughts like those weren't any better. They only reminded him of how badly he'd hurt her. The sight of all that blood had nearly made him ill. And then Lilith had seen it. He could have gone his whole life without having to see how pale she'd gotten. She'd been able to see just what kind of a monster he was.

"Whatever you're thinking of, you might want to stop," Lilith said suddenly. "That or call in a warmer blanket for the bed."

Alex realized just how far his temper had slipped the leash. The room had a definite chill. He pulled himself away from the edge enough to make things more comfortable.

"Sorry."

"I just figured I'd warn you before either of us lost toes to frostbite."

Humor. Alex hadn't expected that reaction. Most witches panicked when they realized his temper went cold. But Lilith diffused it with a joke.

"I'm sure you'd have come up with something long before that happened."

"Witchfire would do the trick." She paused. "But perhaps that cure would have been worse than frozen toes. Best not to find out."

Another joke. Alex wondered what could be hiding beneath that humor. Before she'd gone to shower, she'd sat with a drawn look on her face for several minutes before he'd gotten her attention.

"Lilith?"

"Hmm?"

"You're sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine."

That answer was given too quickly to be true. Alex knew that easy enough. When a witch said she was fine, it meant there was something very wrong, but she wasn't going to tell a man what it was. For the court bitches, it was part of a test. If the unwitting subject didn't guess what was wrong, the bitches punished him. Lilith, though…she just didn't want to talk. Alex knew he ought to leave it at that.

"You don't sound fine."

"Alex, I'm fine."

He gave up. They'd survived, and that should be enough. Her Jewels and her mind came through the Virgin Night intact. Why should it bother him if it seemed she was having second thoughts? Alex tried unsuccessfully to convince himself it didn't. This was going to be a very long night.

As the hours passed, Lilith eventually fell asleep. The _safframate_ still had her in its grip, but she'd become so exhausted that sleep won. Alex flipped over and stared at her. They had a few hours until morning, and then it would be best to leave. Meredith would know by then that he no longer wore the Ring, and would come looking for him. He didn't want Lilith here when that happened.

That thought reminded him of what she'd said. Lilith wanted to return him to his family. The journey would take two days, according to her. Two days where they'd be alone together. Alex wasn't sure he was willing to put himself through that. Not even for a chance to see his true family.

If he spent two more days with Lilith, he knew he'd give into the temptation to take her to bed again. And after tomorrow morning, he wouldn't have the excuse that he was only helping her through the _safframate._ Both of them would know the truth, and Alex was unnerved what Lilith might do if she knew he wanted her that badly.

Her most likely reaction would be to resist, judging by how hard she'd fought him while drugged with _safframate_. That could prove dangerous. Now that he'd crossed that line, the desire to have Lilith again was even stronger. He wasn't sure what might happen if she fought him.

Then again, she might not protest. Of the two outcomes, that scared him more. Alex knew he couldn't trust himself when it came to witches. What if he took her to bed and shifted into that facet that had gripped him with Kareal and Fawne? Witches who saw that side lived a very short, brutally painful life before he destroyed them. Alex did not want to risk that happening to Lilith.

He needed to get away from her for awhile to clear his mind. Then maybe he'd be cured of whatever it was that made him want her so badly, and he would be able to face that journey.


	9. Chapter 8: Parting of Ways

**1/Terreille**

Lilith awoke early, caught in another spasm. She clenched her jaw and emptied her mind of all thought while she waited for it to pass. When it did, she released the breath she'd been holding. Not as bad as the past few days, thank the Darkness. That was good news for the both of them. It was long past time to be gone from here, anyway.

She slipped out of bed, hoping not to wake Alex. This morning, Lilith was not in the mood to argue about clothes. She called in a loose tunic and a pair of leggings. The _safframate_ had abated enough that she thought they might be bearable. At least, she hoped so.

One thing Lilith knew for sure. There was no way in Hell she could prance around Draega in just a man's dress shirt today. And she couldn't face wearing another dress, either. It was too likely to remind her of what she had done yesterday. No doubt it would remind Alex of it, too. Neither of them needed a reminder of what had led to the events of last night.

She was pulling the tunic over her head when she heard movement from the direction of the bed. Lilith told herself she should wait long enough for him to get dressed, but she couldn't do it. With a deprecating sigh, she poked her head out of the shirt and glanced at him.

Damn. It really wasn't fair for a man to look that beautiful. Her breath hitched as Alex threw back the blankets and stood. If she was lucky, he'd think she was just having another spasm from the _safframate_. The last thing she needed was for him to find out how much she'd wanted him- still wanted him. She couldn't have him, so it was better to leave it at that.

Wasn't it?

"You're up early," he said neutrally.

"It's time to leave," Lilith glanced at the window. "They may not come looking for you for another day, but the more of a head start before they realize you're gone, the better."

"I'm surprised they didn't come last night. Meredith would have noticed when I wasn't wearing the Ring anymore."

"Unlikely."

"Why not?"

Apparently, she hadn't made it clear last night which rings she'd stolen. Lilith sighed and shrugged at him.

"Because the controlling ring she's wearing is a fake. I stole both the primary and secondary rings when they were drugging me."

He didn't respond, so Lilith kept on with her explanation.

"She made it very convenient by having all of her coven members in the room at once. It gave me the chance I was looking for to steal their controlling rings."

Alex was…Lilith struggled to find the right adjective. Maybe she shouldn't have been so abrupt. Obviously, he was having trouble with the idea that she'd been crazy enough to risk stealing from Meredith's coven. Or at least that's what she assumed was his problem.

He attempted to speak twice before he succeeded.

"You had them the whole time."

"Yes, I did."

"You could have used them any time over the past few days to have gotten your way."

"I…what?"

"You never once thought to use them, did you?"

Bile rose to the back of her throat at the thought of ever using something so…hideously cruel. Mother Night, it had been hard enough for her just to touch them. How could she have ignored the malicious glee absorbed into the metal from Meredith's coven?

Not just Meredith's coven- she'd felt traces of Dorothea and Hekatah, too. These rings had a long, tainted history in the Blood. Millennia of witches channeling their malevolence and hate into them. A piece of that always remained behind. It had tried to hook into her the moment she held them.

Lilith couldn't keep the tone of her voice even when she finally managed a reply.

"I could never use one of _those _to inflict pain on someone. Why would I?" She shook her head at him. "I never had any intention of using them."

"And what were you planning to do with them?"

Rather than explain, Lilith called in a large silver bowl and set it on the floor. She took his Ring from the nightstand and placed it in the bowl. Then she called in the rest of them. Rings of all shapes and sizes filled the bowl to the brim.

She heard Alex whisper a prayer to the Darkness under his breath. No surprise, really. Anyone who'd experienced what it was like to wear one would be horrified by the sight of so many together. There were enough Rings in the bowl to enslave several dozen blood males.

Lilith ignored him, though, and focused on what she had to do. With a flick of her gaze, she lit the bowl with witchfire. It burned hot and fast, causing the bowl to glow. When the fire burned itself out, all that remained were flaky metallic ashes. Not one single Ring remained intact. Lilith raised her eyes to his.

"That's what I planned to do." She gestured to the bowl. "Those were the last Rings of Obedience in Hayll. I've destroyed all the others and the Craft used to make them has been lost. I intend to make sure it stays lost, so there never will be another made."

With that, she left the bedroom. A few minutes later, Alex appeared. He'd taken time to get dressed, thank the Darkness. He gave her a wary look.

"You said those were the last?"

"Yes. The last in the whole territory. In all of Terreille, actually. It's taken me a very, very long time to locate them all."

"Why'd you do it?" He shrugged. "Seems like a dangerous gamble."

"Because Hayll is not meant to be this way," she snarled before she could check her temper. "And those damned Rings were keeping this Realm from healing the way it should."

Alex looked puzzled, unsure how to make sense of what she'd said. Not unexpected. The job she had to do in Hayll was far too complicated to be explained in a morning, much less a handful of words. She shook her head.

"It's not important now. We need to get out of here."

A beat of silence. She knew what it meant.

"I'm not going with you, Lilith."

"No?" she asked, feigning surprise.

"No."

Lilith let another minute of silence pass.

"I see."

"I need…time to think about what I want to do with my life- if going to live with my family is the right choice."

It was a decent lie. But it was still a lie. Lilith could see it in his face that the real reason he wasn't going had to do with the choice of companion for the trip. He didn't want to be anywhere near her. Lilith supposed she ought to be grateful that he was trying to lie about it. She could pretend that he was doing it to spare her feelings.

But it just hurt, and no way of looking at it would change that. Alex may want to lie to her, but Lilith couldn't go along with it. As predicted, he was having regrets about last night, and she had no one to blame but herself. There was nothing to do but let him go at this point. Lilith wouldn't force him to make this journey.

Maybe in a few weeks, the resentment over what she'd done to him would fade enough that he'd change his mind. Until then, she could find something to keep her busy in Draega. And if it took more than that, Lilith had no one to blame but herself. She could have prevented this if she'd just walked away last night.

"All right," she agreed quietly. "You should do what is best."

"Lilith…"

She did need to be very clear about one thing, though. Lilith wanted no possibility that Alex would interfere with what she had planned for Hayll. Without a warning, there was a very good chance that he might do just that. She narrowed her eyes at him and crossed her arms over her chest.

"But if you're staying in Hayll to kill Meredith and her coven, I should warn you that you can't do that."

"I damn well can."

"No, you can't," Lilith said firmly. "If you destroy them, it won't fix what's wrong with Hayll. It'll only make things worse."

He glanced at her ring finger and back to her with a questioning glance. "You're sure?"

"I'm sure, but feel free to weave your own web to see for yourself."

Alex went very still, and Lilith realized that she'd said more than she should have.

"You can tell I'm a Black Widow," he said finally.

"You're using the same illusion spell I was, so it wasn't hard to figure out," she admitted. "Although, given the things I've heard about what you've done to Meredith's coven bitches…I'm surprised no one else has guessed it."

"I suppose I should be grateful they haven't."

"Knowing what Meredith would do if she found out, yes, you should be very grateful."

They were silent for several minutes as Alex digested the thought that she knew about his secret. She was glad that she was leaving before he realized she knew about the others. He may have revealed the Ebon-Black last night with that shield, but it wouldn't do her any good if he found out that she'd known without it.

"So do we have an agreement?"

"Fine, the bitches will live- for now."

Alex was definitely not happy about letting this go, if his scowl was any indication. But he'd agreed, so she was satisfied that he understood that he was to leave Meredith's court alone. Even if he wasn't completely convinced that she was right, at least she'd convinced him enough that he might weave a tangled web of his own. He'd see then what she already knew, and would make the right decision.

"Can I ask you do to one more thing," she ventured cautiously.

"What's that?"

"I made a Shadow of myself while I went home to talk to your sister. I'm going to key it again and leave it here."

"Why?" Alex asked warily.

"I need you to use whatever means necessary to convince Meredith that I'm dead."

She actually saw him pale when Alex realized what she was asking him to do.

"But…"

"It'd be safer for me if she thinks I'm dead."

"If it's a Shadow, she'll know the moment any of them try to touch it."

"Not this Shadow. It's got enough substance that they'll be convinced it's real."

Alex studied her warily, obviously not believing her.

"I've used similar Shadows for this before. It works."

"Still seems rather drastic."

"If you'd rather not, I can do it myself," Lilith offered.

She didn't know it was possible for a Hayllian to be that pale, but Alex had nearly gone chalk white at the thought of her imitating whatever he might do. Even if it was only to her Shadow. He shook his head.

"Absolutely not. If it needs to be done, I'll do it."

"Thank you."

He muttered something she couldn't quite hear, but Lilith chose not to ask him to repeat it. Best she didn't know. So she called in the Shadow and keyed it. Alex looked from her to the Shadow and back again.

"It's an incredible likeness," he replied at last.

"That's the idea," she said wryly.

Would that make it easier for him to do what had to be done? Lilith admitted that she thought offering him this might be an outlet. He might relieve some of the resentment she knew he must have against her this way.

With those thoughts, Lilith felt the need to be away from here. No sense in dragging this out and making either of them more miserable. She turned her steps towards the suite door.

"I should go, but I'll be in and out of the city. If you change your mind, send a message on an Ebon-Gray thread and I'll get it."

"Lilith…" he said again. "I should explain…"

Oh there was no way she could stand listening to him explain what she already knew. It was time to make the final break and be done with this. Best for him if she forgot that the past two days ever happened. Lilith put as much indifference in her voice as she could muster, letting it fill her eyes. She hoped it could convince her heart, too.

"I'll see you around, Prince," she said with a shrug. "Or maybe I won't."

She was in such a hurry to get away from that room before something in her broke that Lilith forgot about the Ebon-Black shield until it was too late. She wasn't supposed to let him know it couldn't hold her, but she fled right through it. All thoughts were on escape.

Lilith wrapped herself in a sight shield and called in an illusion that would hide her- Jewels and all- from Alex. And then she ran as fast as she could. No destination in mind, just the need to get as far away from here as possible.

**2/Terreille**

Lilith was gone. Utterly and completely gone. It had all happened so fast that Alex couldn't react. Especially when he saw her disappear through the Ebon-Black shield. She shouldn't have been able to do that. But she had. And then she was gone.

Even though Alex hadn't known what he planned to do about it, he'd stepped into the hall after her. No sign of Lilith anywhere. Alex supposed she might have put up a sight shield to cover her escape from the Hall. But hell, he couldn't sense even a whisper of her Jewels. She'd simply vanished.

Alex returned to his suite, sure that it would be of no use to go looking for her. If he'd wanted to put some distance between them, he'd more than gotten his wish granted. To his dismay, the result didn't please him very much. His thoughts caught on the last thing she'd said to him.

Prince. Staring at him with expressionless eyes. That told him well enough that he didn't need to worry about getting too close to her- ever again. The tone created a wall as solid as any built of stone. Impersonal- formal- as if they hadn't met before. As if she'd never called his name in the throes of passion. All forgotten.

He drifted back into his bedroom and stared at the bed, remembering last night. Had he just made a serious mistake? Alex was beginning to suspect he had. But what was done was done, and he was too afraid to call her back on an Ebon-Gray thread.

What could he say? Mistake or not, he didn't think he could confess what worried him about the trip. He'd tried to, when Lilith had interrupted him. Alex wasn't sure what he would have said then if she hadn't. But he'd wanted to say something to erase that hard look in her eyes.

She'd known he was lying. Or at least only telling a half-truth. Alex wondered how he could have become so transparent that he couldn't even pull off something that simple convincingly. It should have been easy. Any other time, he could have without a problem. But against Lilith all his skills seemed to disintegrate- and at all the most inconvenient times, too.

So what would he have said? Alex couldn't think of anything. At least nothing that gave him confidence enough to call Lilith back again. That is, if she would even return if he did. Alex couldn't ignore the real possibility that she wouldn't come back, despite saying that she would. What would he do, then?

A glint of metal caught his eye. The silver bowl sat on the floor where Lilith had left it, ashes smoldering from the witchfire. If he hadn't seen the Rings first, he wouldn't have believed that this was all that was left of them. And Lilith had said these were the last. What would Hayll be like now that they were gone?

He hoped that Lilith was right, and the territory would begin to repair itself. Without the Rings, Meredith was going to find it much more difficult to control blood males in this territory. Few of them had any Jewels that could match her coven, but they weren't powerless slaves anymore. They might go after some of the weaker coven bitches, unless Lilith had given them the same warning she'd told him.

Alex couldn't help thinking of those Rings. She'd had them the whole time she'd been in his suite. At any point, Lilith could've used the controlling ring against him. It was the one weapon she had that could have given her the advantage. But she'd never considered it.

Most witches would have, in his experience. They would have wrung every last drop of pain they could out of him with those rings. So what did that say about Lilith that she didn't? Alex couldn't say for sure. He wasn't sure he understood what kind of witch she was. It frightened him that he wanted to find out.

Of course, it might be too late for that to be a possibility. Not even Meredith and her coven could match the indifference in Lilith's stare when she'd said goodbye. Maybe she considered her promise to his sister kept. She'd set him free of Meredith's Court, and he supposed he could figure out how to get home if he asked the right people the right questions.

That might be preferable to calling Lilith back to help him. Alex wasn't sure he wanted to face that look a second time. It made him wonder what she hid behind that wall. Maybe in the glaring light of day, she was regretting last night ever happened. She might even think he'd taken advantage of her.

The more he thought about it, Alex wasn't convinced he hadn't. He couldn't stay in the bedroom without being confronted by those thoughts, and returned to the main room of the suite.

The Shadow hadn't moved or said a word since Lilith called it in. Alex regarded it warily, uncertain of what to do. How was he going to bring himself to torture it, even if it was only a Shadow? Lilith had no idea what she'd just asked him to do. He knew she was right, but that didn't make this any easier.

"I can shift to another form, if you prefer," the Shadow said, as if reading his thoughts.

It even had her voice. Mother Night, he wasn't sure he could do this.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You seem to be rather hung up on the likeness between me and her. I can change to someone else if that gets this over with faster."

"How can you do that?"

"It's one of the spells she set into the web."

"Oh."

"So if there's a particular disguise you'd like, I'm sure I could manage it."

"Once you change- can you change back?"

"Probably not once it's finished."

That was no good. Meredith had to be certain that the witch she found in his suite was the one she'd left here. He shook his head.

"I don't think that'll do."

"Suit yourself."

The Shadow stared at him, unconcerned. Alex reminded himself that it wasn't a real person, and couldn't feel any kind of pain. It should be easy for him to turn on that cold vicious rage that he used with the coven bitches. But it took him several minutes before he could bring himself to begin.

In all, it only took him a short time to reduce the Shadow to a wreck of a human being. The only thing it still had in common with Lilith was the black hair and brown skin of the Hayllian race. At least what little was left of it. Alex turned away from the sight of the carnage to avoid being sick. He needed to get out of here- now.

A quick sweep of the suite and he collected anything he valued there. He vanished it and created an Ebon-Black sight shield. Once he was clear of this place, he'd decide what he was going to do. Alex didn't look back as he walked away from Meredith's hall for the last time.


	10. Chapter 9: Plans Fall Apart

**1/Terreille**

Meredith was eager to see what Prince DeSade had done with that scheming bitch. In the past two days, the coven had spent hours hunting through the hall to find the stolen Rings. They'd yet to recover them, and the Warlords knew it. Half of them had escaped in the night, and the other half was stalking the coven. For all the trouble she'd caused, that bitch had better have suffered.

The corridor outside the Prince's suite was unusually quiet for this time of day. Ettia, Bethaeny and Valinna had come with her to witness what had become of the bitch. Or so Meredith had told them. Really, she'd brought the younger witches as bait in case Prince DeSade's temper was still running cold. She took comfort in the feel of the controlling ring around her index finger, and the power it gave her.

"Prince DeSade, it's been three days," she called loudly through the door. "I expect that you have finished with the present I made to you of the witch."

Silence. Not a sound from the suite, even after several minutes. Meredith began to grow impatient, and drummed her fingertips. When he still hadn't appeared to answer her summons after ten minutes, she threw an irate glare at the other three witches with her.

"You see the thanks I get for offering him anything," she hissed. "This behavior just is not acceptable."

"You think to summon him with the Ring," Bethaeny asked stupidly.

Meredith didn't answer the girl, and channeled a blast of power through the Ring. It would land a crippling blow to the Prince, and he would know that she was displeased with him. No male disobeyed a summons from the Ring. Not even him.

Still nothing from the suite. Doubtful that the Prince had taken this long to recover from the pain. Meredith began to feel uneasy, but refused to let anyone see it. Valinna likely wasn't fooled, since she'd been the one to warn her that one day the Ring may not hold him. The question was, was that day today?

"Bethaeny, would you be a dear and see what's keeping the Prince?"

"Me," the witch squeaked. "Go in the Prince's suite?"

Well, at least she wasn't a complete idiot. Meredith wondered what Ettia had been telling her cousin over the past few days. None it was going to save the girl in the end, but wasn't it interesting that Ettia was trying? That was something to keep in mind.

"Of course you."

"But I don't even have a ring…what if he…"

"I expect the Prince is still occupied with the witch and won't even notice you," Meredith lied easily. "All you have to do is peek in and come right out again."

Bethaeny looked dubious, but she knew she had little choice. She reached for the handle of the door and pushed it open. Ettia and Valinna held their breath as she slipped inside the suite and disappeared. Meredith only waited, fingers still drumming.

Less than a minute later, the witch flew out of the suite and slammed the door shut behind her. She doubled over and threw up suddenly. The rest of them jumped back to avoid being splashed as the girl's stomach heaved a second time. Bethaeny was shaking all over and rocked herself. Ettia approached her first.

"Cousin, what's wrong? What did you see?"

"Pieces- she's…" Bethaeny gulped in a shaky breath and swallowed before she could finish. "in pieces."

"The witch from the hall the other day?"

Bethaeny nodded, tears streaming down her face. She was close to hysterical. That gave Meredith a good idea just how bad it was in there. So much for the idea of letting Prince DeSade impregnate that bitch. She was infuriated that he hadn't obeyed her command to leave the witch alive.

"What of the Prince?" Valinna asked.

"Didn't see him."

Ice sluiced through Meredith, and her eyes met with Valinna's. It was possible that Bethaeny had simply seen the body of the witch and hadn't looked very hard for the Prince. He could still be in there. He had to be in there.

"Are you sure," Ettia prompted her cousin. "Could he have been in another room?"

"You can't make me go in there again," Bethaeny screeched, clinging to Ettia. "I won't go in there again."

The girl had no spine at all. Meredith passed both of them a disgusted look and pushed her way into the suite. Might as well see what kind of damage the Prince had done to the bitch. After what she'd seen him do to other witches, she doubted it would be surprising.

She saw nothing in the main room of the suite, but Meredith felt the unmistakable chill of rage. The psychic echoes in the room were intense, pressing in on her. She ignored those feelings and forced herself to walk down the short hallway to the Prince's bedroom.

The closer she got to that room, the deeper the rage permeated the air around her. Meredith refused to turn back now. She took the last few steps and crossed the thresh hold into that room. It was all she could do to face the violence that awaited her.

Mother Night. Bethaeny was right- there wasn't much of anything left of the witch. Prince DeSade had ripped her apart piece by piece over the past few days. It was more thorough and so much more excruciatingly brutal than anything she'd seen him do before.

A whisper of movement beside her. Meredith glanced over to see Valinna beside her. The older woman looked on the sight with a grim expression. She hesitated more than once before commenting.

"If we don't find the Prince and figure out how to cage him for good, this is a taste of what destruction he will unleash on the coven."

"You don't think he's still in the Hall, do you?"

"No, I do not."

"And the Ring? What do you say of that, Valinna?"

"If he's still wearing it, the Prince is no longer controlled by it."

"He has to be wearing it- the damned thing can't be removed by anyone but an Ebon-gray Jeweled witch."

"That's what we were told," the witch agreed.

Meredith narrowed her eyes in suspicion. She didn't like where this conversation was headed.

"You think that it was a trick- that anyone could have removed it?"

"We never tested it."

In retrospect, they probably should have. It wouldn't have been any loss to have tested it on one of the lower caste blood males. If it was true, and they couldn't remove it without the Ebon-gray, he would have been easily disposed of to get it back again.

But when the Prince hadn't been able to break free of it, she was convinced that it was working. She'd had no reason to suspect otherwise. Meredith burned with rage that no one had brought it up earlier.

"You think the Prince convinced the bitch to remove it, and this is how he repaid her?"

"You know as well as I do how…persuasive…the Prince can be when he wants to be."

And without anyone watching him these past few days, he might have convinced the little bitch to remove the one leash Meredith had to hold him. Her prized possession, gone. One of the key pieces of her plan ripped away from her grasp. She stared at the bloody remains on the bed and felt like screaming. Whatever the Prince had done to her hadn't been enough.

She tried to regain control of her rage, and sent a bolt of Gray power to blast the dresser into smoldering chunks of wood. Valinna said nothing about the outburst. She circled the bed slowly, focused on the body.

"Of course, if the Prince was free of the Ring…the next question is why he'd leave before unleashing this kind of rage on any of us."

"What?"

"It's no secret that he hates the coven- so why give up the opportunity to strike back when we're all unsuspecting and defenseless? He has the Jewels to do it."

It was a good question, actually. Meredith doubted that he'd used enough of his Jeweled strength on the bitch to drain the Red- and certainly not the Ebon-gray. So why hadn't he come for her next?

"He could be waiting for us to discover this before he strikes," she admitted reluctantly. "A preview of what he intends to do."

Valinna took another long look at the bed.

"If that is his plan, it'd be best not to let any of the other coven members see this. I'll fog the mind of the other two witches so they won't remember anything."

"I wonder if we could convince the coven that the Prince is still in the suite."

"At least convince them until we can discover where he went."

"Or he comes out of hiding to play this game with one of them. Either way, it's best to get this under control now before Ettia's cousin alarms the whole coven."

"Yes, of course. I'll see to them right now."

"I'll deal with this mess."

Meredith lobbed a ball of witchfire at the bed and threw a shield over it. A pity to lose a fine piece of furniture, but far better than to have the rest of the coven scatter out of her control like frightened mice.

She wasn't willing to admit defeat just yet. Oh no, Meredith was far from admitting that. Terreille and Kaeleer would be hers, and so would Alexander DeSade.

**2/Terreille**

The Prince was gone. Valinna knew in her bones that he'd left the Hall already. She just didn't know why he'd left with unfinished business with the coven. It didn't make any sense that he'd let any of them live. So either he was still wearing the Ring of Obedience, and didn't want to risk Meredith's wrath for disobeying her. Or he'd found a way to rid himself of the Ring, and had other reasons for not killing them right away.

Neither of those thoughts was comforting. He had escaped their leash, and that's what mattered. She'd tried to warn Meredith two days ago that it was dangerous to let the Prince have any latitude. If Valinna wasn't certain that the Queen would set her ablaze with witchfire next, she'd have reminded her of that warning. But there was much to do, and she didn't have time to waste on gloating over who had been right.

She had to think of a way to keep the coven from falling apart now that Meredith no longer held the Prince's power. They may be able to be convincing for a few weeks, but eventually, they would have to admit that Prince DeSade had disappeared. Valinna saw now the error in focusing so much of Meredith's attention on using him to bolster her own power. Without it, would she have enough influence to keep the younger witches from a revolt? Valinna wasn't sure.

Ettia and Bethaeny were still in the corridor when she slipped out of the Prince's suite. Bethaeny was glassy-eyed and shaking. Thank the Darkness that no one else had come by to hear what she'd seen. Valinna would take this opportunity to tie up this loose end right now. She put on a sympathetic face and wrapped a few spells around the sound of her voice.

"I know, darling, it's a shock to walk in on a scene like that. But we must remember that the Prince is fiercely temperamental."

"Just temperamental?" Ettia said. "From what I heard, it was way beyond that."

"The Lady didn't realize what she'd seen," Valinna soothed. "We all made an error in thinking that Prince DeSade was finished, and he took exception to being interrupted."

Doubt flickered across their expressions, but she could see that they had been hooked into the spell. As she thought, it wasn't that hard to convince them that it was all a mistake.

Bethaeny didn't want to believe that she'd seen a witch brutally torn apart, and Ettia was willing to doubt anything her cousin said. Valinna smiled and wrapped her next layer of spells around the two of them.

"Lady Meredith has decided to give him a while longer to enjoy the witch, and is discussing the terms right now."

"So….she's not…" Bethaeny gulped. "Not dead?"

"Not at all. The Prince would never disobey a command backed by the Ring."

"All of the blood…"

"Your imagination- just something you invented because that's what you expected to see."

"That's good."

"Now why don't we go back to the dining hall and get on with the day? There's no need to dwell on this any longer."

Ettia was a little stronger than her cousin, and had enough strength to resist long enough for another question.

"What of the Prince? You said that he'd have more time with the witch."

"What about it?"

"The coven was promised that he'd be available for use after this. How long will we have to wait?"

Valinna was disgusted by the witch's preoccupation with fantasies about riding the Prince's cock. That's all the younger witches- even Meredith- could think of.

None of them really understood what lived inside him. Valinna had been that naïve once, but it hadn't taken long to realize her error. She understood now more than ever why the Queens of long ago had ringed Warlord Princes like the Sadist.

Males should never have that kind of power. It made them dangerous to witches- dangerous and uncontrollable. Even with a Ring. And males had to be controlled. Valinna remembered what it had been like after the Purge had swept away most of the Blood in Hayll.

They'd lost most of the Queens to that vicious storm, but they'd lost almost as much when blood males had risen up against witches. It had been a bloodbath, and she'd been lucky to escape it with her life. She'd seen many witches who hadn't been so lucky.

When she'd gotten old enough, Valinna had left her home village, and had found Meredith. Back then, the young Queen only wore the Green, but Valinna had seen the potential for her to be a strong enough Queen to put things right again. So she'd offered her services and her Craft to help Meredith build a network of witches.

Of that first group, she was the only one left. Most of the others didn't survive the struggle to power, destroyed by blood males. How she hated blood males- every one of them. Valinna wouldn't be sorry to see them all broken or worse, but it wasn't practical. Maybe breeding with half-bloods or landens was good enough for the lower castes, but the coven should produce children from a pure line.

That's why she'd concocted the plan with Meredith to steal the Prince from his family in Kaeleer. She'd woven in a tangled web a vision about a child that would bring them all great power. Or at least that's what she thought she'd seen. Lately, Valinna wasn't so certain she'd read that web correctly.

She hadn't wanted to admit it to Meredith, but she'd had her doubts when she'd seen the child Seren had brought back from Kaeleer. Meredith probably wouldn't have listened to her then, either. But maybe Valinna should have tried to warn her. A Warlord was one thing, but a Warlord Prince from _that_ family…that was a little more power than they could truly control.

Those feelings grew stronger after his Birthright Ceremony. Mother Night, the Prince had been gifted the Red. Green or Sapphire wouldn't have been as bad. But the Red made her nervous. And when he broke free of the ordinary Ring of Obedience they put on him, she knew that they'd made a mistake. But by then, Meredith was too obsessed with the Prince to be rid of him.

Nothing had changed- not even now. If the Prince still wore the Ring and turned up tomorrow, Meredith would welcome him back with open arms and hope that giving him toys to play with would keep him happy. It never would, but she would lie to herself as long as she thought it would get her what she wanted.

Valinna couldn't help being disappointed. She wondered if she'd passed up or helped Meredith destroy other Queens who could have been of greater use. There had been a few others who could have worn Jewels as dark as Meredith's, but they'd been destroyed before that became a possibility. The coven couldn't afford anyone who could challenge Meredith.

With an inward sigh, Valinna set those thoughts aside and turned her attention back to Ettia. She had to think of a plausible answer to the question.

"Lady Meredith thought it best that we wait a week or so at least before letting anyone in the coven have use of the Prince. She wants to be sure he's in the proper mood."

"Proper…mood?"

"Would _you _want him to think he has the freedom to play with you like he's playing with the other witch?"

"Oh…no, I suppose not."

"Then you might see the wisdom in giving him a week or so to remember what is and isn't acceptable when he's servicing the coven. To be sure he knows the difference."

With that, Valinna turned away abruptly and began walking away from the Prince's suite. She was completely out of patience. Witches like Ettia and Bethaeny didn't understand how precarious this court really was, or what had been sacrificed to see it succeed. It didn't matter how often they were told, it never stuck with them.

Valinna almost enjoyed the idea that maybe with the Prince's escape, these young witches might begin to learn what she and Meredith had done to protect them all these years.


	11. Chapter 10: Momentary Distractions

**1/Kaeleer**

Lilith hadn't returned from Hayll yet. 'Nelle counted the days since her friend left, and knew that something had gone awry. According to the plans they'd laid out, she was supposed to be back no later than a week ago. It might mean nothing that she was running late. Maybe the Shadow hadn't lasted as long as they expected and Lilith had needed time to create a new one.

That wasn't the point. The longer her friend stayed in Hayll, the more nervous it made 'Nelle. She knew that she should have tried harder to convince Lilith to let her go, too. It would have been safer to have had both of them there so she could help. After all, Sapphire wasn't much power against Meredith's court.

That is, if Sapphire was the only Jewel that Lilith wore. The past few years, 'Nelle was starting to wonder about that. The Craft lessons that they worked together seemed more advanced than what Lilith could accomplish with the Sapphire alone. When she got back, 'Nelle intended to ask her about it. Right after she threatened to strangle her for scaring her this badly.

Papa was going to be angry enough when she told him where Lilith had gone on this particular errand. It would be ten times worse if anything happened to her friend. What would he say if they had to send someone into Hayll to fetch her? He'd be furious.

*When is the Lady coming home?*

'Nelle looked over at Haedyn and admitted that her Papa wouldn't be the only one who would be furious. If Lilith came to harm in Hayll, Taenne and Haedyn would be most upset. They were never happy about her going to Hayll without them. But that was not surprising for Warlord Princes. Especially when those Princes also happened to be Arcerian.

"She'll be home soon."

*You said that before* Taenne growled.

"I know, and I promise that when I'm done yelling at her for being late, you can have a turn."

*Is dangerous to go to the damaged territory alone*

"She's always comes back all right. This trip is just taking a little longer, that's all."

Haedyn padded over to her and set his head in her lap. 'Nelle obliged him and scratched his ear. The cat purred loudly, but she knew he was still worried about Lilith. The cats always stuck close to her whenever they knew Lilith was in Hayll. She was surprised that no one else had picked up on that. It was for the best that they didn't, but surprising none-the-less.

*Find out why?*

"Not this time. There's not much chance she's going to get to the Keep until she's done with what she went to do."

*Go find her?* Taenne suggested.

"You know you can't do that," 'Nelle replied sharply, worried that they might actually try to go to Draega. "Hayll is even more dangerous for the both of you than it is for Lilith."

And that was true. 'Nelle had heard what happened to blood males in Hayll now that Meredith had taken over the territory. Valinna, the Black Widow in her court, was especially dangerous, even for a Red-Jeweled Arcerian- or two. Lilith would never forgive her if either of them were hurt because 'Nelle hadn't been able to keep them in Kaeleer.

Haedyn's tail twitched ominously, but neither of the cats pursued that argument.

*Will wait for a while longer* Taenne agreed at last.

"Good- glad to hear it. We all are in this together."

Now what to do to pass the time. She'd been working on some Craft that Lilith had shown her a while ago, but there wasn't any more she could do with that until she came back.

'Nelle supposed she could take a walk to Halaway and see Tersa. Maybe she would have an idea what had happened with Lilith. At least that was more productive than sitting in her room pacing and worrying. She gave Haedyn one last pet and stood up.

"I'm going to see if Tersa has any answers."

*The Strange One can help* Taenne agreed.

Okay, best not to get their hopes up too much. The last four times she'd gone to see Tersa, the witch hadn't been able to give her any news either way about Lilith. 'Nelle shook her head at them.

"I'm not sure if she will be able to tell us anything, but we can ask."

*Go now?*

"Might as well."

They'd nearly gotten to the front entrance hall when she heard a voice behind her.

"Going somewhere, witch-child?"

'Nelle turned around and shrugged. "Just down to Halaway for the afternoon, Papa."

"You've gone down there several times already this week. I doubt you need that many Craft lessons."

"I do have friends down in the village to visit, too."

"A friend in particular?"

Mother Night, it was like she was still ten years old sometimes. Didn't matter that she was a grown witch and could manage her personal life for herself. Any time she took a lover, Papa got all edgy about it. Not that there had been many of those to begin with. Even if they could get over the intimidating nature of her family, they rarely felt comfortable with her.

Maybe that's where Lilith had the right idea. She flat out rejected any male attention. Well, rejected was the kindest way of describing what Lilith did if males showed interest in her. 'Nelle heard whispers that the ice in her voice when she refused could freeze a man's balls solid.

Hell's fire, Lilith hadn't even wanted a Virgin Night, even though she was long overdue. 'Nelle wasn't quite sure how old Lilith was, but no less than a century or two. And Lilith didn't care that it would leave her vulnerable- in Hayll especially. She wouldn't say why she was so adamant against it, but 'Nelle had her suspicions. None of them were good.

Still, 'Nelle had tried for the longest time to convince Lilith to abandon her celibate state with no success. But in the past decade or so, she'd been willing to consider that she was the one who'd been wrong.

When she was younger, short term lovers seemed like fun. A few months or years with one, and then move on when feelings began to wane. 'Nelle had gone on for centuries like that. Never had a problem with it.

That life wasn't fun anymore. She wasn't sure when that had happened exactly, but it had been an unpleasant revelation. Now, she didn't feel excited about a new lover. She just felt…lonely. It only made her think that maybe she wasn't going to find one who would want to share a life with her.

'Nelle realized that Papa was still waiting for her answer.

"No, Papa. No one in particular."

"You're taking the cats with you?"

"They offered to stand escort for the afternoon."

"Try to keep the village in one piece, then, would you? I don't want Queen Mitzah in my study again so soon after the last time."

"It's been months since that happened!"

He regarded her sternly, and 'Nelle relented with a sigh.

"Yes, Papa. We'll be good and won't cause trouble."

"Thank the Darkness."

"So may we go now?"

"Yes, witch-child."

Lucky that he wasn't in a mood to ask any more questions. A few days ago, he'd had a few pointed comments about how distracted she'd been during dinner, and she'd barely been able to keep Lilith's secret.

'Nelle was determined not to be put in that situation again, and strove to be more focused around the family. She had to keep buying time. And maybe if she convinced them that she had nothing to worry about, she'd believe it herself.

It was a short trip down to the village, and she was soon knocking on Tersa's cottage door. A journeymaid answered it, looking less than surprised to see 'Nelle there. On the other hand, she was taken aback at the sight of the two cats with her. That was to be expected. Very few people were comfortable around Haedyn and Taenne.

"Hello Jolinne- is Tersa busy this afternoon?"

"That depends. I believe she was busy today, but whatever she was working on was something for you."

With Tersa, it was hard to tell if that was a good thing or a bad thing. But there was only one way to find out, so 'Nelle stepped inside the cottage. The cats followed her in, and Jolinne stepped back quickly to avoid brushing them.

"Can I get anything for the Princes?"

'Nelle looked at Haedyn and Taenne. "Well?"

*Want to go with you*

"Seems they're more interested in coming with me, Jolinne, but thanks for the offer." She paused before asking. "Is she in the workroom?"

"Yes, she is."

The workroom was at the back of the cottage. 'Nelle paused at the door to watch the thin, dark-haired witch standing at one of the tables. Tersa was always thin, rarely thinking of something as mundane as food unless prompted. Over the past few decades, her hair had begun to silver, but it was still tangled more often than not.

It had taken 'Nelle a while to understand why her grandmother was so different from everyone else. Her Papa had explained it to her when she'd gotten old enough to appreciate what it meant. She was broken.

Aside from Tersa, she'd never met anyone who'd been broken- much less someone who'd tumbled into the Twisted Kingdom. Lilith had, mostly during her visits to Hayll. Even so, she'd said Tersa wasn't like any of those witches. In any case, once 'Nelle did understand what was so different about her grandmother, she realized that it didn't matter. She was just Tersa.

The formidable Black Widow was frowning at an unfinished web in a frame on the worktable. Beside her sat a number of spidersilk spools.

"Tersa?"

She turned at the sound of 'Nelle's voice and smiled.

"Welcome, Sister."

Haedyn and Taenne squeezed in around her knees, not waiting for an invitation. The two of them filled up most of the space in the room. Tersa glanced at them briefly, and turned back to the frame on the table. 'Nelle ventured into the room and tried to look casual.

"Jolinne said you might be busy."

"It won't be enough."

Used to Tersa's random turns in conversation, 'Nelle wasn't bothered by the answer she got. She also knew better than to ask a straight question about what the comment meant. That tactic rarely got useful answers.

"How do you know?"

"The web that hides what can't be seen- refuses to be seen. It's already unraveling."

"Could we stop it?"

Tersa shook her head sadly. "Too late."

"Is it too late to build a new web? That might work."

"No, that web was already built. Already gone long ago and spun webs of its own."

Okay, now 'Nelle was stumped. How could a new web be gone already when it was supposed to replace one unraveling now? And not just gone- long gone.

*The Strange One talks in circles that go nowhere*

*Maybe is confused?*

*No* 'Nelle answered the cat quietly. *Tersa is never confused when it comes to visions. It's just our understanding of what she says that gets tripped up*

Haedyn and Taenne shared a look and said no more. 'Nelle tried to think of a way to pick up the thread of Tersa's conversation. If she could only snatch a fragment to piece it together. Lilith was better at it, and she wished that her friend was here to help her puzzle it out.

"Lilith would know the answer," she mumbled.

Tersa whipped around to her suddenly, a strange expression on her face.

"The threads are different, but the weaver sees the same pattern. It will be the wrong answer."

"Do you mean Lilith…is she the weaver?"

"A weaver," the witch replied warily.

'Nelle couldn't contain her worry. What if Tersa meant something about the trip to Hayll? Had Lilith read a tangled web wrong and gotten herself into trouble? She had to know, and took a gamble.

"Tersa- Lilith went to Hayll, but she hasn't returned. She was supposed to be back already. Did something go wrong with her Shadow and the plans she made?"

For a moment, Tersa just stared at the frame and spidersilk. She selected one of the lightweight silks and continued working. Something about the pattern seemed off, but 'Nelle couldn't tell what it was. She shuffled a few steps closer, waiting for Tersa to answer.

If she was going to answer, that is. Obviously, she was in no hurry. Strand after strand was added to the web as she worked. Tersa paused for a minute and glanced at 'Nelle. She gestured to the web.

"Do you see it?"

"There's something…strange…about that web."

The Black Widow nodded grimly.

"Very strange."

'Nelle studied it carefully, hoping that she could see what Tersa wanted her to see. She had finished her official training as a Black Widow, but she was still learning how to read tangled webs. Especially when they were this complicated. Tersa must have been working on it for a very long time.

A few times, she thought she caught a glimpse of what bothered her about the web's structure. But the next second it was gone again.

Her grandmother waited patiently, scratching Haydn's ears absently. It wasn't until 'Nelle turned slightly to the cats that she saw what she'd been missing. How to describe it in words was far more challenging. At last, she chose something that seemed close enough.

"It has an echo."

Tersa moved away from Haydn and stood in front of the web again. Head tilted slightly, she contemplated 'Nelle's assessment.

"Echoes in the shadows, yes."

"But the echoes are stronger- that's not right. Shouldn't it be fainter?"

"A memory is stronger, sometimes."

An interesting comparison. What kind of memory, she wondered- and whose. She studied the web a while longer, trying to draw out snatches of what it contained. One strand in particular stood out to her. Despite all the threads in the web, the whole thing was supported by a single, slender thread.

Ordinarily, no one would build anything so precarious. If the delicate balance of the other threads changed or were pulled too tightly, the whole web would collapse. One thread was dangerously close to doing just that. If it were pulled just right, the main thread would snap.

The echo thread told a different story. If that thread were to connect to the main thread, it would share the weight of the web and provide a better balance. But something was keeping them apart. 'Nelle couldn't tell what it was.

"Too soon to tell yet if the threads will bind or sever," Tersa said, as if reading her thoughts.

"If it severs, what happens?"

"The web breaks."

That sounded ominous. Worse than ominous, actually. 'Nelle swallowed carefully, and tried to resist asking the question she wanted to ask. Best to come at it from a different angle to keep Tersa focused.

"It's times like this I wish I were still eight years old and Papa could fix the problem for me."

Tersa shook her head sadly.

"The Mirror has already fought to keep one web from breaking. This one doesn't belong to him."

'Nelle grabbed the edge of the worktable to steady herself. Mother Night. That was not the answer she expected to get at all. She wasn't even sure what to make of that answer. Her Papa had several names, but 'Nelle hadn't heard anyone call him a Mirror before.

"So I guess this one is all me, huh?"

The question hung in the silence between them, and 'Nelle realized she'd pushed Tersa too hard. Her eyes grew more distant, and 'Nelle tried not to be disappointed.

*The Strange One has more questions than answers* Haedyn complained.

*Maybe, but at least now I have something to watch for*

*Shadows, echoes and mirrors* Taenne grumbled.

*I'll admit that I don't know what they mean yet, but I'm sure she's telling me about them for a reason*

Neither of the cats looked very convinced, but they dropped the argument. Maybe this puzzle would keep them occupied until Lilith got back. If Tersa succeeded in at least that much, 'Nelle would be grateful.

"Well, it sounds like either way, there's work to be done."

"Not the time yet for work."

"I almost wish it was. Without Lilith around lately, it's been rather boring at the Hall. I could use something to do."

"It's not time," Tersa repeated firmly.

Her grandmother turned away and started to leave the room. 'Nelle shrugged and followed her. Whatever she'd come here to learn, Tersa had given her all the answers she had to give. Until Lilith came back, it would have to be enough.

Jolinne was in the kitchen, humming to herself as she laid out some dishes. She looked up at them and 'Nelle felt her assessing Tersa's frame of mind. A perfectly natural reaction any time visitors came to see her. It wasn't easy to keep Tersa balanced, and she didn't envy Jolinne the task.

"I was about to call you that lunch was ready," the journeymaid said cheerily.

'Nelle knew the part she was expected to play in this. It would be much easier to get Tersa to eat if she sat down, too. Not that she was particularly hungry, but that made no matter.

"Perfect timing," she replied. "We just finished, and I'm sure both of us could use something to eat."

"Why don't you both sit down, then, and I'll find something for the Princes while you get started."

'Nelle tried not to sigh as she took a seat at the table and suffered through the meal. Why did it have to be spinach casserole?

**2/Terreille**

"This can't possibly work the way you say it does, Raenel."

"I promise you it does," Lilith replied distractedly, her attention focused on repairing a stack of Craft books and Protocol primers. Constant use had worn the bindings to the point pages were falling out.

"Raenel, be serious."

"I've seen it firsthand. Trust me, I'm serious."

"Fussing, Raenel? They have rules about _fussing_?"

The exasperation in Gwynn's tone made Lilith close the book she held and look up. The young Queen was obviously skeptical about the lesson she'd been given to study today. She supposed that it would take some convincing before she'd believe any of it.

Not that it surprised her at all. When Lilith came to this section of Draega a half century ago, it had been little more than a dirty slum. Violence and intimidation made it dangerous for anyone to walk freely in its streets- even in daylight. For most, it was kill or be killed. Or worse.

It was the first place she'd settled in to work, since it was too poor to interest Meredith and the coven. She could work quietly there to undo millennia of damage done to Blood society. Not an easy task, though. At first, Lilith hadn't known how exactly to do it.

An opportunity didn't appear until she stumbled upon Gwynn. She'd been a young witch- almost a child- at the time. That didn't matter to the Blood males of the neighborhood. They were out for her blood. A Queen's blood. Lilith couldn't entirely blame them, given what they'd known of Queens. But she refused to stand by and let them direct all that hatred at an innocent.

She gave them a choice- live to rebuild the Old Ways, or die. Everyone in that neighborhood received that choice. Some wouldn't, or couldn't accept the offer. But enough people chose to live, and Lilith began to teach them the Protocols they'd all forgotten.

Fifty years later, Lilith was helping well over two dozen communities in Draega remember what the Blood were supposed to be. That first decade or so, she'd spent most of her time in the city, travelling from one community to another. She almost never found her way back to Kaeleer in those days.

That had changed after she'd met 'Nelle, which had happened quite by accident. Lilith had gone to the Keep in Kaeleer to do some Craft research in the library, expecting to be there for an afternoon. Of course, those plans were completely ruined when 'Nelle rounded a corner and saw her.

An afternoon turned into three days, during which time Lilith was introduced to the rest of the SaDiablo family. For most, that would've been enough to send them running from Dhemlan, never to return. But Lilith gravitated towards their strong personalities, and found herself visiting them for a few days every few weeks.

Which probably meant that 'Nelle was getting worried by now. She was overdue by several weeks at this point, and hadn't wanted to risk sending word to her friend about the delay. The chance that it might tip off the rest of 'Nelle's family as to where she was and what she was up to was too great. Lilith didn't want to light that fire just yet.

"Raenel, are you paying attention?"

Lilith shook her head and tried to focus on the present. She had to find some way to explain to Gwynn about fussing.

"Sorry, my mind wandered."

"Well, if you'd like to wander back, maybe you could tell me why any of this makes sense."

"Oh if you're wanting it to make _sense_ then you are asking the impossible," Lilith laughed and walked over to the other witch. "Fussing is one of the irritating, irrational male things that is meant to drive witches crazy."

"One of?"

"My darling, you've only scratched the surface of Protocol, even after a few decades of study." She paused in thought. "Think of Blood society as a dance- fluid and dependent on the interplay of its partners. Protocol provides the steps that rule the dance and keeps it balanced."

"How does that explain why there are pieces of it that say I have to put up with _this_?"

"Consider them as a small price to pay when you realize that in exchange you'll get a circle of males who will protect you and uphold your rule in your territory. Because both of those are two sides of the same coin."

Gwynn was going to interrupt, but Lilith kept pushing her point.

"If your First Circle males truly serve you- and you damn well better select ones that do- they will be feel fiercely territorial about protecting you as their Queen. Fussing is an extension of that protection."

"I'll believe it only when I see it for myself," Gwynn muttered to herself.

"Glad to hear it, since I think it's time that you select a Court to rule."

"No," Gwynn shook her head firmly. "We're not ready yet to face Meredith or her coven."

An expected response. But at least the young Queen's denial was rooted in facts and not fear. Lilith had tried to suggest that she set up a court several years ago, but Gwynn had been too terrified of what Meredith would do to her to listen. This time, Lilith heard a level-headed assessment of the truth. She was right- they weren't prepared to deal with Meredith just yet.

"Did I say that's what you were going to do?"

"You said that I was going to…"

"Select your court. That's not the same thing as sending Meredith an open invitation for war."

"The second she hears about it, that's what will happen."

"Meredith is _not _going to hear about it. At least not for a while. I've spent time in Shalador Nehele talking with the people there about how their Queens ruled in secret under Hekatah and Dorothea's rule."

"Oh."

"I've already tested their techniques in other districts. It works. I think they will work well here, too, until you are ready to take on Meredith."

A speculative look from Gwynn, who put down her Protocol book. She leaned against the windowsill and crossed her arms.

"And when might that be?"

If all went according to plan, a handful of years or less. Maybe even sooner if Lilith stepped up her role in the rebellion. But Lilith couldn't give that much away without inviting too many questions. She tossed her gaze upwards and pretended to contemplate the possibilities.

"Couldn't tell you, exactly, but it'll depend mostly on all of you. Defeating Meredith will take strong courts."

"If you're talking about Jewels…"

"Oh there's no doubt that her court has superior Jewel strength," Lilith countered quickly. "I'm talking about the kind of strength that comes from a well-matched court where Queen and her First Circle form a partnership committed to one another."

"And you think that I can do that?"

"I'd stake the survival of Hayll on it."

**3/Terreille**

For such a large city, Draega felt very small. Alex had spent the last few weeks skulking around, listening to the tendrils of gossip that leaked out of Meredith's court. At first, he'd wondered what she would do when she discovered him missing. Alex was sure that she'd do anything to recapture him.

Apparently not. From what little he'd heard, it didn't sound like Meredith thought he was missing at all. In her place, not a bad strategy. Especially if she wanted to keep Draega under her control. Alex suspected that she was hoping to find him before she had to admit he was lost.

How she expected to catch him again now that he was free of the Ring of Obedience was a puzzle. In short, she wasn't. Alex wasn't going back to that Hall again, and he would tear apart any of Meredith's coven who tried to bring him there. Lilith's warning be damned.

Still, it didn't pay to be careless. So Alex had disguised himself with an illusion to keep any unwanted attention away. No one would connect a light-skinned Warlord wearing Tiger-Eye Jewels with an aristo Hayllian pleasure slave from Meredith's court. Certainly not one with a slightly crooked nose and blunted features.

The disguise allowed him to pass unnoticed in and out of the various districts of Draega. A very useful tool in a lot of ways. In the few weeks since he and Lilith had parted ways, Alex had learned a lot about what had changed since he'd last walked its streets. And things had certainly changed.

For one thing, the influence of Meredith's court was not as strong as she liked to claim. Her control had already begun to erode. Several districts he'd been to were showing signs of cooperation between the genders.

On the surface, it looked like they were following Meredith's edicts. Witches were still in control of the community and were often surrounded by Blood males to serve them. But anyone who watched for more than an hour or so would notice the subtle differences.

Things he wouldn't have noticed if not for knowing Lilith. He reluctantly pushed those thoughts away.

Today, Alex was just trying to get some shopping done. It was still a novelty to have the freedom to shop for and prepare his own food. He was grateful that he'd stashed away a decent cache of marks to pay for this new freedom. The thought of stealing didn't sit right.

Distracted by those thoughts, Alex almost didn't notice that he'd wandered into a less inhabited section of the district. He was about to backtrack when he heard yelling around the corner. Alarmed, he picked up his pace to find out what was wrong.

A Warlord came barreling out of an alley, nearly knocking Alex over in his haste to get away. Having spent over a week in this district, Alex could tell that this Warlord wasn't from here. Didn't belong here. Instead of letting the man go, he grabbed onto him.

"Lemme go, why don't you!"

"You seem to be in a hurry," Alex said, not moving.

"Yeah, s'pose so. And if you get in my way, it'll be all the worse for you, Tiger-Eye."

Well, he supposed that it wasn't surprising that the Warlord thought he had the advantage with his Summer-Sky Jewel. Alex merely smiled at him.

"I doubt it. Why don't you and I find out what terrible monster has you running like a frightened rabbit."

The Warlord struggled against Alex's grip, but couldn't escape. He kept cursing and yelling as they turned the corner.

"What's it to you, you prick! Lemme go!"

A chill filled the alley as they entered it, and Alex saw why almost immediately. A young witch lie whimpering on the stones, clothes half torn off and bloody. She was barely older than an adolescent.

He jerked the man off his feet and dragged him over to a group of three Warlords. They had obviously interrupted him, and had been ready to give chase. A fourth Warlord was kneeling next to the injured witch, gathering her up into his arms.

The Warlords sized him up, and looked at the man writhing in his grip. He'd seen them often enough in the district, mostly in the company of one of the most prominent witches. Once or twice, he'd talked to a few of them. From what he could tell, they were good men. Alex hoped that they thought the same of him.

"I think this," Alex gave the Warlord a hard shove forward, "is what you're looking for."

"I didn't do nothin' wrong!"

Two of the Warlords hauled the man to his feet and shook their heads grimly.

"That's for Lady Tarine to decide."

"I shoulda known- just a bunch of twat lickers, aren't ya?" He jerked his head at Alex. "Even that one."

No one answered his taunts, but the chill in the alley grew deeper. Alex wondered if the Warlord would come out the other end with frostbite before they even reached Lady Tarine.

"Let's move," the leader of them said. When Alex hung back, he waved at him. "You, too, Warlord. She'll want to hear what you have to say."

Oh great. Attention of any kind was the last thing he needed. But refusing would just make more trouble for him, so Alex nodded and followed the Warlords out of the alley. By the time they'd reached the main square, Lady Tarine was waiting for them. She did not look pleased.

Alex kept as far to the edge of the crowd as he dared to listen in on what would happen. If this had happened in Meredith's hall, he knew what would have come next. The court bitches would go to work torturing every male in the hall to prove their point. Wouldn't matter if they had nothing to do with it.

"Warlord Howe, report."

The Warlord gave a brief explanation of what he knew of the incident. All the while, the growing crowd stood silent. The only person making any commotion was the Warlord, who was cursing at his captors. Alex noticed that the young witch was now with a Healer.

Lady Tarine waited for Warlord Howe to finish before she turned to him.

"And you- what did you see, Warlord?"

There was nothing to do but tell her the truth.

"In honesty, I didn't see much of anything. I was a street or two away when I heard yelling."

"And?"

"And I was going to see what it was when that Warlord ran into me. Seemed like he had something to hide, so I brought him with me to the alley. That's where I saw the girl, Warlord Howe, and the others."

Lady Tarine nodded. "Thank you, Warlord."

She turned away from all of them to speak with the girl. When she came back, she was deadly calm. The Lady must have said something to her Warlords on a private thread, because suddenly, the man on trial went silent. One of them must have used Craft to shut him up.

"Warlord, you have broken the laws of our community and injured one of the members of my court. You will be marked as a threat and exiled from this district of Draega. Return and you will be executed."

"Exiled!?" the man said incredulously. "For what? Just a bit of fun with the girl. No real harm done."

"You're lucky that bruises and scrapes- not to mention a broken hand- is all she suffered," Lady Tarine replied coldly. "If my Warlords hadn't stopped you before you raped her, I'd execute you now."

With that, Lady Tarine stepped aside and signaled to her Warlords.

"See to it that he's properly marked and escort him to the borders of my territory."

Alex wondered just what she meant by 'properly marked'. If this were Meredith, he could guess that it meant castration. In this case, that punishment might almost fit the crime. Still, he wasn't looking forward to whatever it might be. Alex gritted his teeth and waited.

A brazier was brought out from one of the local shops- likely a metalworker. Two of the Warlords held the condemned man still as Warlord Howe stuck a rod of iron in the fire. Alex saw a sigil on the end of it- a tree broken in half under an eye. A curious mix of symbols, to Alex's mind. He wondered what they stood for, and if he could find someone to tell him before he moved on.

When the rod was red hot, Warlord Howe removed it from the brazier. By this point, the condemned Warlord was sweating with fear.

"I didn't do nothin' wrong! You can't do this to me!"

No one in the crowd came forward to his aid. Not many people had stayed behind once Lady Tarine left, in point of fact. Most of them had dissipated already, leaving the Warlords to carry out her orders.

Very different from punishments Meredith and her coven ordered. Alex remembered those all too well. They were treated as a carnival to entertain the bitches, showing all too clearly how they mocked justice.

The Warlords placed the man's hand, palm up, on a stone block. Warlord Howe swiftly pressed the brand against the exposed skin. Alex heard the man scream loudly. It was over in a few seconds, and then they led him away.

"You seem surprised," a male voice beside him said.

"Haven't been here long enough to see that done."

"Used to happen more often a few years ago, but not so much these days."

"I used to see much worse in other parts of the city," Alex replied, looking askance at the Warlord next to him.

"And I'm sure that what you've seen is still going on there. But not here. Not anymore."

"Why the change?"

The man idly scratched his head as he thought of an answer.

"She gave us a choice, and we took it."

A fist grabbed Alex and nearly squeezed the breath out of him. Sweet Darkness. He suspected he knew who gave this community a choice, but Alex asked the question, anyway.

"Who?"

"Raenel."

"Haven't heard of her before."

"Then you haven't spent much time in any of her districts here in Draega. I'd recommend changing that."

"Managed to buy myself out of my last Lady's service a few weeks ago," Alex said. It was a partial truth that worked well with his current disguise. "Been trying to find a place to settle ever since."

"Lady Tarine's district is a good place, so long as you're willing to live by the rules."

"Rules?"

"Raenel brought them here from wherever she's from and taught them to anyone who wanted to stay here."

"I expect that anyone who didn't wasn't welcome to live in this district anymore."

"Wouldn't want them here, anyway."

"How long ago did all this happen? I doubt it was built up in weeks."

"Hell's fire no. First time we saw Raenel was over thirty years ago- maybe more. Lady Tarine would know for certain."

Thirty years. Alex was certain that this Raenel the man spoke of was Lilith. If she'd been coming here that long, she would need aliases to keep Meredith from learning who she really was. Now he was getting a clearer picture of what she was doing here in Draega.

Alex realized just how much had been at risk when Meredith did catch her those weeks ago. What if he hadn't been in the servant wing and she'd spent that night with Grael? Or worse- what if something in him shifted that night and Alex had turned on her with the cold rage he usually brought to the bed? Communities like this might wither, and Draega would never be more than Meredith's twisted playground.

"Is she here," he managed to ask as soon as his voice was even. "Raenel, I mean."

"Won't see her before the next moon or longer."

"And the branding was one of her ideas?"

"No, that was the Lady Tarine. She and a few of her friends from other districts devised it as a way of warning each other of a potential threat. If that man walks into any of their districts, they'll know to keep an eye on him."

"So they won't execute him."

"Not unless he makes the same mistake twice. If he changes enough, though, he may get the brand removed one day. Seen that a few times, but it's rare."

"Who does that? Lady Tarine?"

"Raenel makes the decision when it comes up, and performs the healing."

"Very interesting. I appreciate your help. You've given me a lot of things to think about."

"It's a lot to take in all at once. You'll get used to it by and by. May the Darkness be with you, Warlord."

"And you," Alex replied, watching the other man walk away.

The whole afternoon had been one hell of a learning experience for him. Alex mulled over the most important thing for several minutes. For now, he was safe here and wasn't likely to run into Lilith. After that last morning in his suite, he still wasn't ready to face her. Maybe by the time she came to this district again, he would have the courage to seek her out.


	12. Chapter 11: Doubts and Suspicions

**1/Kaeleer**

It was times like this that Daemon Sadi missed his father- his advice in particular. Over seven hundred years ago, Saetan SaDiablo had returned to the Darkness, leaving Daemon to assume the roles of family patriarch and the High Lord of Hell. Of the two, he found the patriarch more challenging. Particularly during those times he squared off with Jaenelle Saetien.

Times like today. Dinner at SaDiablo Hall had started almost a half hour ago, giving him the opportunity to corner his daughter into a conversation she'd been dodging for nearly a week. As the strongest living Blood male, he'd think he would have some leverage against one witchling. But not even the Black stood a chance.

Daemon cast his golden gaze around the table, noticing that Jaenelle was careful keep her eyes focused on anything but him. If it had been anyone else, he wouldn't have thought much of it. Witches might steal a look when they thought he wouldn't notice, but very few wanted his direct attention focused on them. Those few who could handle it were the people he called family.

So Daemon could tell when something wasn't right with them. He was convinced that something was worrying Jaenelle Saetien. For a few weeks, he thought she was just more distracted than usual. That wasn't it. His darling witch-child was obviously upset and was trying to hide it from all of them. Mostly from him.

And it wasn't just her, either. The cats were behaving strangely the past month. Perhaps alarmingly agitated was a better way of describing them. Or so Helene and Beale told him- several times. Given what Daemon had seen this morning, he had to agree with them. Hell's fire, any man would be nervous after walking in on that argument.

Jaenelle had been standing between the cats and the front door, a furiously determined look on her face. Haedyn was pacing, a low growl rumbling through the Hall. Nose to nose with her was Taenne, also growling. Daemon had no idea what passed between them, but the tension in that room had been too high to pass off as a typical spat. Now seemed as good a time as any to ask her about it.

"So tell me, witch-child, what exactly were you and the cats debating earlier?"

The fork stopped halfway to Jaenelle's mouth. But he had to give her credit. She didn't flinch. Carefully, she set the fork down again and shrugged.

"You know the kitties. They were just mad that I wasn't letting them do what they wanted to do, that's all."

"And just what was that?"

"Nothing important, Papa. It was just a little argument."

From the look Surreal was giving him, she believed that answer about as much as he did. Jaenelle always had a slight change in her tone when she was trying to gloss over something in front of them. Daemon heard it now.

"I saw that argument. It was far from little."

"Haedyn and Taenne were being snarly, but they really didn't mean it."

Everyone at the table stared at her.

"If it had been anyone else, witch-child, those cats would have been using teeth and claws."

"Papa…"

"Jaenelle Saetien," he replied in a calm voice. "What was this all about?"

Several minutes passed as she looked from him to Surreal and back. Finally, she gave in.

"Look, Lilith said that they had to stay here until she came back to visit again. I guess the kitties got tired of waiting, and wanted to go looking for her instead."

Lilith. He might have known it had something to do with her. That witch was an unsolved puzzle. On the surface, she seemed perfectly ordinary. She wasn't born into any particular caste, although her Birthright Jewel was Sapphire. From what he knew, her family wasn't any of the aristos in Dhemlan. All very ordinary.

Until you started to look more closely.

For one, she was friends with Jaenelle Saetien, and that is not something that most ordinary people could handle. Lilith coped with everything from the terrifying Craft experiments to the nerve-grinding way his daughter leapt into everything. At times, better than the family did. Hell's fire, Lilith encouraged it.

Not only was she friends with Jaenelle, but she also had ties to strong witches in other territories. Charlotte in Glacia and Adrienne in Dea al Mon, to name a few of the more daunting ones. He shuddered at what those four witches could do to Kaeleer if they set their minds to something. Needless to say, Lilith had no qualms about dealing with the more feral races in this realm.

And speaking of feral, Daemon didn't want to get started on her relationship with the Kindred. How the hell did he explain the proprietary claim that Taenne and Haedyn had assumed over Lilith? No one entered her suite in the Hall without their permission- not even him. Hell's fire, they got snarly whenever she was approached by someone they didn't know.

Arcerian Warlord Princes didn't react that way, unless you were a Queen. Sapphire Jewels or not. And even then, they rarely acted that way for anyone who wasn't Arcerian. Since Witch walked the Realms, he'd only seen the Kindred be that protective of his daughter.

Daemon's thoughts returned to Lilith's Jewels. True, she was Dhemlan, and would've waited a while to make an Offering. But by now, it was long overdue. Jaenelle had brought it up several times, and every conversation ended the same way. Lilith would side-step the issue with some excuse why not to do it and nothing would change.

Perhaps what bothered him most was that he couldn't get a sense of what rank Jewel she should wear. At most, they would be Ebon-gray. Rare, but not completely impossible. Given her personality and factoring in everything else he knew, Daemon half expected it.

But even if they would be that dark, he ought to be able to tell. Ever since he received the Black he could always tell a person's Jewels. Daemon was annoyed that as hard as he'd tried, all he ever sensed was the Sapphire.

As he said, a puzzle.

"I suppose depending on which territory she went to visit, it makes sense that they should stay here," Surreal said, breaking into his thoughts. "I can't imagine them staying comfortably in Dea al Mon."

"So Lilith said several times before she left. She put me in charge of keeping those two leashed until she got back."

"And that will be?"

"How should I know," Jaenelle said with a game smile. "It could be a week or it could be a few more months."

Daemon thought he heard her mutter darkly under her breath something that sounded like 'it better not take months'. He had to agree with her. If the cats were this annoyed now, a few more months would be intolerable. But why were they so adamant about going to find Lilith in the first place?

"Maybe sending her a note that the cats are worried would bring her back sooner," Surreal suggested.

"She'll just laugh and say I need the practice dealing with them."

That tone was back in her voice.

"It couldn't hurt to send something, anyway."

"But…"

Daemon pinned his daughter with a look, stopping short whatever excuse she was about to give.

"You don't know where she is, do you, witch-child?"

"It's Lilith- she could be anywhere."

"Didn't she give any indication where she was going before she left?"

Jaenelle Saetien hesitated enough that he was sure the next thing she said would be a half-truth at best. She looked discomfited at being cornered. Good. Now they were getting close to what was on her mind. So Daemon was interested to hear what she'd say.

"She said she had a few things she needed to do in other territories, but didn't get into the specifics. I don't think she really had any concrete plans."

So she knew where Lilith was. And he was willing to bet that the cats knew, too. But none of them wanted anyone else to know where she'd gone. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of his stomach. Just where in the hell had the witch gone?

"She can't have gone too far," Surreal said. "A letter to Adrienne or Charlotte could tell you if Lilith went to Dea al Mon or Glacia. Heather would know about Dharo."

Jaenelle said nothing, and seemed to pay inordinate attention to the contents of her plate. Surreal looked at him.

*Sadi, what am I missing here? It can't be that hard to locate one witch*

*I agree* he replied. *But our darling daughter doesn't want us to find out where Lilith has gone*

*She lied*

*Almost certainly*

*And you're not going to say anything about it?*

Daemon debated how to answer. He could try to pry the truth out of Jaenelle, which could take the rest of the evening or longer. Or he could let her think she'd won for now, and try again later when she might be less guarded with her answers.

*For now, yes. But when Lilith returns, I'm going to want to know where she disappeared to this time, and she's going to answer me*

*Don't let Jaenelle hear you say that, or she might tip off her friend and Lilith will steer clear of the Hall to avoid an argument*

*We can't be talking about the same witch. Last time she was here, I recall one hell of an argument with Andulvar over Eyrien lore and legends*

*Fair point*

"All right, witch-child, we'll leave it go a while and see if she turns up in a few days or so. But it's up to you to keep those two from terrorizing the Hall in the meantime."

"Yes sir," Jaenelle beamed as she stabbed a forkful of carrots. "Maybe I'll take them out to the cabin for a while in Askavi. They will have fun there and Lilith never said they had to stay in the Hall itself."

Daemon tried not to imagine what Lucivar would think of having Jaenelle and the two cats in Askavi for an extended visit. He supposed he ought to do his brother a kindness and warn him.

*Prick* he called on an Ebon-gray thread.

*Bastard?*

*I hope you are up for an exciting week*

*Just how exciting* Lucivar replied warily.

*Jaenelle Saetien is going to the cabin for a while*

*Uh huh…and?*

*She's bringing the cats*

*What do you mean 'a while'? How long are they planning to stay?*

*I don't know- hopefully only a week or so*

His brother was silent for a long time. Daemon could almost feel him counting to ten to regain his balance before answering. Several times. But when he was finally ready to ask, Lucivar sent him one question.

*Is there some reason they're not going to Glacia or Arceria? If you just want them out of your hair for a while, It would make more sense to send them to Charlotte*

*Askavi is as far as we send them until Lady Lilith returns from wherever she's gone to lately*

*Let me guess- you don't know when that will be?*

*Not even Jaenelle seems to know, and it's making the cats edgy*

*Well, I guess the Boyos could use some practice sparring against a non-human opponent. Maybe that will help take that edge off the waiting*

Only Lucivar would think physical combat with six hundred pounds of annoyed Arcerian cat was a good idea. For the hundredth time, Daemon was glad not to have been born Eyrien. He sure didn't envy the days ahead for his nephews. They had enough to contend with Jaenelle without adding the cats on top of it.

*If they get too troublesome, just send them back*

*If you're going to say that, you might as well not send them*

*You know what I mean, Prick*

*Yeah, old son, I do. Don't you worry- we'll all do fine*

With that, he broke the link. Surreal and Jaenelle had been discussing preparations for the trip. Daemon gave them a small smile.

"Well, I hope you plan to take sparring clothes with you, because your uncle is making his own preparations for your visit."

**2/Kaeleer**

'Nelle groaned loudly in protest. That was the last thing she needed when she took the cats to Askavi. True, maybe it might be good for them. But her uncle had a knack for using the training ring for more than sparring sticks. It would be easy to let something slip by accident.

"Couldn't you just have let me get there without telling him first? How am I supposed to have any fun while I'm there now?"

"And have him landing on my doorstep at the crack of dawn to explain why I dumped all of you on him unannounced? I think not, witch-child."

She might as well give up. It was enough of a victory that her father let it go about where Lilith was. At least for now. 'Nelle wasn't naïve enough to think that it was closed for good. Especially if Lilith didn't come back in a week or so. This was just a short reprieve. Just how short might depend on how things went in Askavi with Lucivar.

"I guess that's fair."

"We'll see if you still say that after you return," her mother said with a laugh.

With what she hoped was a smile, Jaenelle stood up and pushed away from the table.

"I guess we'll find out, won't we? Meanwhile, I ought to pack and talk to the kitties about the change in plans."

"Good luck with that."

"We'll be sure to stop by before leaving."

Giving her parents little chance to argue about her leaving tonight, she escaped the dining room. At the same time, she hoped that Lilith wouldn't be too upset that she bent the rules a little by leaving the Hall. But she never did say that they had to stay here- or even in Dhemlan- the whole time.

If Lilith got snarly over it, 'Nelle would just point out that she was only supposed to be gone a week, tops. It was going on well over a month, and she hadn't bargained for reining in Haedyn and Taenne for this long. No one could be expected to do it without having some escape. As big as the Hall was, it still felt small when it was meant to be a cage.

Trapped here with those two, it was hardly otherwise.

She found Haedyn and Taenne skulking around her suite, obviously still spoiling for a fight from earlier. 'Nelle sighed.

"Okay, I know you're frustrated and worried, but we have to trust that Lilith knows what she's doing."

*Too long*

*Is wrong*

"Yes, it's obvious that something hasn't gone as planned. But I'm sure that she's just fine."

*Not fine*

"Okay, you win. I'm scared to death that she's in real trouble. But we all agreed to the rules when Lilith left, and you know what she said would happen if we broke them."

Both cats looked chagrined, and stopped pacing long enough for 'Nelle to focus. She shook her head at them.

"What if we compromise?"

*What compromise?* Haedyn wanted to know.

"We won't go looking for her, but we'll at least get away from the Hall for a little while. I thought maybe we'd go visit Askavi. Maybe Lucivar will spend some time training you both how to fight against man-made weapons and you can convince Lilith to let you go with her next time."

May her friend forgive her for putting that thought in their heads. Boy would Lilith be annoyed when she got back and found Haedyn and Taenne had taken away her best argument for not coming to Terreille. She always said that they didn't have enough experience fighting against a human opponent to be safe in Draega.

If they stayed in Askavi for more than a few weeks, Lucivar could fix that easily. 'Nelle smiled to herself. All the more reason she had to hope that Lilith came back soon. Though it would be fun to tease her when the kitties showed her that they could defend themselves just fine.

"So? What do you think?"

*Yes- a good plan*

*Leave now?*

"Well yes, that was the idea. I need to pack some things first, though."

Like her entire stash of supplies to do some dream weaving. Papa didn't come into her suite often, and he would never look at one of her webs without an invitation, but there were some things she didn't like doing here in the Hall. The cabin in Askavi would be a better place for it. So long as one of her cousins didn't tattle on her to Lucivar.

In all, it took 'Nelle very little time to pack up a few bags. The essentials would all be in the cabin, anyway. Even so, the cats were pacing with impatience to be gone from the Hall. They had certainly fixated on the idea of going to Askavi. Especially the part about learning to spar with humans so Lilith couldn't leave them behind again. Maybe it hadn't been a good idea to bring that idea up to them so quickly.

"All right, all right, I'm ready. We can go now."

*Red Wind?*

"First stop is downstairs to tell Papa we're leaving, and then we'll take the Winds to Askavi."

The cats didn't argue, and filed out of the suite in front of her. Haedyn lead the way to the front hall, Taenne taking up the rear position behind her. 'Nelle wasn't sure if she should be amused or annoyed with them. But she set that thought aside when she saw her father waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs. She paused, hoping that he wouldn't have any surprises for her.

"You packed quickly, witch-child."

"I had two good motivators," she said, nodding to the two cats.

"So I see. Be careful, witch-child."

"Of course I will, Papa." 'Nelle kissed him lightly on the cheek and continued on her way to the door. "We'll all have a good time, you'll see."

His look was bemused, but her father didn't say anything as they slipped out of the Hall. 'Nelle hoped that this trip to Askavi would give them all something else to focus on for a while. Something other than where Lilith was and when she'd be back.

**3/Kaeleer**

Tersa studied the web again. The threads were holding, but the balance was still too fragile. Even more so now that Witch had met the Lost Dreamer. The double edged sword. He would save her from herself, or break her like the others before. Too soon to tell.

She'd tried to warn her little Sister- the Boy's special Dream- but Tersa wasn't sure she'd heard all the messages. More understanding from her than from most, but not enough at times. It would have to be enough until Witch brought the Lost Dreamer home. Her Sister would piece together the fragments and warnings then.

But would it be enough? This Dream was much different from the one before it. Had _always_ been different. Now finally the time had come when the Blood was different enough to be a match for the Dream. A chance to be needed and wanted for what it was.

As for the Lost Dreamer, he needed the Dream just as much. Like calls to like and provides balance. Without that balance, the Blood in Kaeleer would always be in danger from him. Tersa shook her head, seeing the shadow warnings of what could be. No, he could not be allowed to turn down that path.

There had to be a way to save them- both the Lost Dreamer and the Dream. And to save all of the Blood in turn.


	13. Chapter 12: Rebellions Plotted

**1/Terreille**

"You know what I think," Ettia whispered to her cousin as they walked through one of the deserted garden lanes in Draega.

"What?"

"I don't think the Prince is in that suite. I don't think he's been there since Meredith left that witch with him."

Bethaeny studied her cautiously, obviously judging whether it was safe to reply. In the last two months, she'd learned a lot about how to survive in Meredith's Court. Ettia had made sure of it. At first, it had been a way of protecting herself. She couldn't afford to let Meredith's irritation with her cousin blacklash onto her.

But surprisingly, her cousin wasn't quite as insipidly stupid as she seemed at first. Young and naïve, without a doubt. Her aunt never should've sent her to this Court. Maybe a lesser one would have worked out- but not with Meredith. Like a lamb to slaughter.

So she'd honestly begun to care what happened to her. And in the past two months, they'd made significant progress. Bethaeny had shown herself to be dependable and resourceful when dealing with the Court. She was still flighty sometimes, but now she was thinking more before she said anything. Like today.

Apparently being away from the Hall made her cousin feel safe enough to answer.

"What makes you say so?"

"It just all seems very strange- that unknown witch showing up and then all the controlling rings stopped working and the Blood males escaped. Then Meredith tells us that the Prince is confined to his suite for weeks on end."

"You think he disappeared with the rest of them, don't you?"

Ettia sent out a psychic probe around them to see if anyone was eavesdropping. It was unlikely. Ever since the controlling rings had failed them, witches in the Court rarely ventured beyond Meredith's Hall. Or their rooms.

That didn't matter, though. She didn't want _anyone _to hear what she was about to say to her cousin. In the wrong hands, it could be disastrous. The coast seemed clear, so she pulled in a breath and let it out again.

"Not only do I think he's gone- I think Meredith's ability to hold Hayll is gone with him. And I think it may be time to think of a new Court to take over Draega."

Bethaeny's eyes rounded.

"You could be killed or worse for saying something like that."

"By who? Meredith or Valinna? I'm saying that if the Prince _is_ gone, then they can only rely on the strength of their Jewels instead of having his to back them."

"But Meredith wears the Gray."

"And if we had a large enough group of us, we could still win against her."

"I'm not saying that I'm agreeing with you," her cousin said slowly. "But let's say you could get a group of witches together large enough to overpower Meredith and Valinna. Who would you have rule in her place? Almost none of us are Queens anymore- much less one with a Jewel to rival hers. No one's going to listen to someone with light Jewels. Not without leverage."

"Maybe Queens have outlived their use," Ettia snapped. "Maybe we can find a better way to rule Hayll without them. I don't see life around here as anything great with Meredith in charge. Do you?"

"Well…no, not really."

"Then I say we choose who we think is best to rule- not leave it to whether someone was born into the ruling caste or not. Who decided that Queens ruled the rest of us, anyway?"

Both of them were silent for a while. Ettia had surprised herself, not having realized just how fed up she had gotten with Meredith and the whole Court lately. Until now, she hadn't said anything against Draega's ruling Queen. Since her mother packed her off to the city, she'd done nothing but emulate all the other witches at court. It didn't matter that she was treated like dirt most of the time and lived in constant fear.

None of that changed, no matter how high she'd risen. Honestly, Ettia wished she hadn't tried so hard to be noticed. Life had been safer when Meredith ignored her. Anonymity insulated her from worse abuse.

So maybe this was their opportunity to get out from under Meredith's thumb. One thing she knew for certain. If they didn't do something soon, the Blood males would rally against them and they'd all be dead. Someone was going to rise up against Meredith to take over Draega. It might as well be them.

"So what are you saying, cousin?"

"I'm saying we start asking around- discreetly- about whether some of our Sisters feel the same way."

"It will have to be very discreet if we don't want Meredith to catch wind of it."

"Maeren would be a good place to start. All she did was take the steak Meredith wanted and they starved her for three days. She doesn't feel any love for the Queen or the Court. Not anymore."

"I can think of a few others, too."

"I say we get as many of us gathered together as we can before making a move. Maybe we can take control of one of the districts in the city. Make our stand from there."

They turned a curve in the pathway, still seeing no one else. The garden was sad this time of year. Even calling it a garden was being kind. Hardly any flowers grew in the weedy beds. Only the ones that grew back from bulbs planted decades ago. Ettia couldn't remember the last time anyone tended Draega's gardens.

"I didn't realize you had ambitions for rebellion," Bethaeny mused. "I always thought you were one of Meredith's strongest supporters."

"I thought I was, too, when I first got to Court. And then I saw what she was really like. Then it was all about saving my own neck."

"All the same- it might be hard to convince other witches to believe that you want to spearhead this plan. They might think you're trying to lead them into one of Meredith's traps."

"I hear you," Ettia agreed. "And you're probably right. But I'm still going to try."

"You're not worried that someone might betray you, thinking it will make them a favorite?"

"Fat lot of good it'll do them. A favorite is little more than Meredith's slave. I think if she could figure out a way to put a Ring of Obedience on a witch, she would do it."

Bethaeny shuddered at that thought. Ettia did the same. Having seen how effective the Rings were against Blood males, she certainly didn't want to have one put on her. There would be no respite from Meredith's temper then. They walked in silence for a time.

"Do you suppose we were wrong in doing it?"

"Doing what?"

"Ringing Blood males and dosing them with _safframate_," her cousin replied. "We think it'd be wrong for one of us to be ringed and I've heard the horror stories of witches Meredith's dosed with _safframate_. But how can we feel it was wrong to do that to a witch when it was okay to do it to a Blood male? That has always bothered me, even though I got the message that it shouldn't."

Ettia hadn't wanted to admit the uncomfortable truth that she'd thought the same thing from time to time. But she didn't answer Bethaeny's question right away. She let the silence spin out until she felt she had to reply.

"I don't know, Bethaeny. We've all heard the stories about what it was like before Meredith became Queen of Hayll. Witches slaughtered all over the territory by Blood males. Maybe we did need the Ring to keep them under control."

"If that were true, we should be dead right now."

"I beg your pardon?"

"We're perfect targets right now for any Blood male looking for a chance to kill a witch. Neither of us have Jewels dark enough to fight off more than one or two. And you can't tell me that they don't know we're here. So why aren't we dead yet, if they're so dangerous?"

"I honestly don't know."

"Exactly."

"So are you thinking you want to give Warlords an equal say in whatever government we set up in Draega?"

"I don't know what I'd want to do with them. But I know I don't want to bed another one if he's been dosed with _safframate _first."

Ettia was surprised at the vehemence in her cousin's voice. Sure, it was a gamble whenever they used the drug, but she'd never thought it was all that bad. Obviously, Bethaeny thought otherwise.

"Oh yeah?"

"I'll be honest that I hadn't thought much about it before the Warlords escaped the Hall. It seemed like fun to get them worked up and take a ride for as long as I wanted."

"But you've changed your mind."

Bethaeny stopped walking and turned to her. Ettia stopped, too, wondering what her cousin would say. Despite all the growth she'd shown so far, this conversation had taken a far more serious turn than she expected out of her.

"Ettia- what does it say about us when no male is willing to bed us?"

"I don't follow."

"That's what drugging them with _safframate_ means, you know. Can you count even once when you bedded any male by his free choice? Not because he thought it might get him something he wanted. Not because he was threatened, tortured or drugged into it. But because he actually wanted _you_."

Now that was an unpleasant thought. The longer she considered it, the more Ettia had to admit that her cousin was right. She didn't know what it was like to be with a man who wanted to be with her. It was a sickening realization, and one she wasn't sure she ever wanted to discover for herself.

"I guess I never really considered it that way."

"I didn't either- until I started talking to the serving witches in the Hall."

"Talked to who?"

"I dunno- I was down in the kitchens running some errand for one of the First Circle witches and a group of the maids were all talking."

"About what?"

"About what they thought of the Warlords leaving the Hall, mostly. Would you believe me if I told you that some of them were secret lovers?"

"Were _what_?"

"I'm serious. One of them- Fawne- she and Warlord Paeter were lovers and saw each other on nights he wasn't servicing any of us. No coercion, no drugs- just the desire to be together. The more I heard about it, the more I realized how unsatisfying our so-called 'conquests' were by comparison."

Ettia would never have guessed, but to be honest, she rarely thought about the servant witches in the Hall. Not as people, anyway. They did all of the unappealing tasks in the Hall and took the brunt of Meredith's temper. Beyond that, Ettia hadn't really thought of them.

Perhaps it was time to change that. Especially if they were looking for witches who had a grudge against Meredith. True, most of the serving witches were broken, but they could still be useful for something. If they'd been invisible to her all this time, they were invisible to Meredith, too. They could learn useful things.

That was a thought for later. Right now, Bethaeny seemed pretty focused on the sex issue. Ettia conceded the point.

"So what are you suggesting, cousin?"

"I'm suggesting that if you're serious about changing the way Draega and Hayll is run, we consider what other groups outside the Court have to offer. Even if that includes the serving witches and possibly Blood males."

"I'll think on it," Ettia promised. She looked around and shrugged. "We ought to be getting back now, before anyone notices we're gone."

**2/Terreille**

Lilith was over halfway through her regular tour of Draega's districts. After staying with Gwynn for nearly a week, she'd moved on to check in with a few other Queens in other districts. This week, she was staying in one of the southwestern districts to see how Lady Collette was keeping her Court in balance. She'd helped the young witch set it up the last time she was here, and it was time to see if they were adjusting to one another.

All of that work should have left her too exhausted to think about anything else. She shouldn't have had any time in the day to stray from her task. Shouldn't. That didn't mean she wasn't kept awake at night, thinking of how things went horribly wrong with Alex.

Although, those thoughts were preferable to the nightmares. Since leaving Meredith's Hall, the terrible dreams of her youth had returned. They were relentless.

In any case, she blamed herself every day that she'd made Alex feel like he had to service her, and because of that, had chosen to stay in Hayll instead of returning home. He should have been with his family months ago. Instead, he was skulking around Draega to avoid her.

Well, that wasn't quite true. Lilith knew exactly where he was, and had been for well over a month. He'd found his way into Queen Tarine's district, and hadn't left it since. She could have found him at any time and asked if he wanted to go to Kaeleer. But Lilith had judiciously avoided that part of the city, putting off her visit to Tarine as long as she could.

So if she were honest, Lilith would have to admit that she was avoiding him. But she couldn't do that for much longer. Gwynn was expecting her to bring Tarine a message about forming an alliance together to reclaim the district wedged between them. A district ruled by one of Meredith's lesser favorites.

It would be a bold move, but one that could be done without calling out too much attention to the current Queen of Draega. After all, Meredith had her own worries to contend with at the moment. Lilith was hearing rumblings in all parts of the city about shaking out from under her tyranny. Not just in the districts she'd helped grow.

All very interesting thoughts on her mind, but Lilith turned her attention back to the matter at hand. Collette was holding an audience to judge a case involving a man who'd tried to rape a young woman in one of the local inns. The girl was the daughter of the innkeeper, and had been heard screaming for help shortly before closing time by one of the other patrons.

Fortunately for the girl, they'd rescued her in time. But she'd been thoroughly traumatized, and the man had a history of violence. He'd been branded- recently from the look of it- with the Queen's mark. Lilith knew that meant he'd already done something similar in one of the other districts.

Collette looked disquieted that she had to make this decision. She hadn't ordered an execution since setting up her court, and wasn't happy to be deciding one now.

*What do I do, Raenel?*

*You're the Queen of this district, Collette. It's up to you what is or is not permissible here*

Lilith could hear the young woman sigh across their connection. She would not tell Collette what to do. It wasn't her place to do that anymore. This was not her territory to rule. And besides, Collette needed to take responsibility for the lives and safety for the people under her care. Even the distasteful duties.

*He didn't rape the girl*

*No, he didn't* Lilith agreed.

*I could let him go with a warning*

*It's within your right to do so*

*You're not helping* the young Queen complained.

*I already told you that I wasn't going to help you with this, Collette. You have to make this decision on your own*

*I don't like killing people*

*That's good, because you shouldn't. Even if it has to be done, you should never enjoy sentencing someone to an execution*

"I'm tellin' y'all I didn' do nuthin'!"

Lilith's eyes narrowed slightly at the man protesting his innocence in front of them, and tried to remind herself that she should take her own advice. If this _were_ her territory to rule, she wasn't sure if she could say that she hadn't found some satisfaction in killing him. Not and be honest with herself.

He'd done nothing but sling foul language at all of them since the Queen's guard had hauled him out of the inn. Lilith heard him rant and rave about how he'd been wronged in Queen Tarine's district last month, and that all he did was look for a 'bit of fun'. She'd tended to the innkeeper's daughter this morning. Nothing about that experience had been 'fun' for the girl. She held back a snarl…barely.

*You've heard what everyone has had to say about what happened. And you've heard from Queen Tarine what happened there. What does your instinct tell you to do?*

A flash sizzled through Collette's eyes and she squared her shoulders.

*Execute him*

*Why?*

The Queen thought for a moment.

*Because he's not going to change. Whether it's his fault or not, he's been tainted and if I let him live now, one day he will succeed in raping someone. And it will be my fault for not stopping him when I had the chance*

Lilith was relieved. It was the right decision, and for the right reasons. The decades of training in Protocol and the Blood code had taken root here as she'd hoped. It had been a gamble whether any of the Queens in Hayll would be able to absorb it without a well established network to rely on. But it was working. Thank the Darkness.

*If that's your decision, I'd suggest putting us all out of our misery and render it to the Court*

Collette cleared her throat and the room was silent- even the accused. Lilith took care of that personally, not in any mood to hear him whine a second longer.

"Having listened to all evidence in the matter, it is my decision that the Warlord Henkel has committed a serious crime by the laws of our community. As this is not his first offense, and he has shown a distain for the opportunity to embrace a new life, I rule that he would present a danger to all in the future. His life is therefore forfeit."

The condemned man was nearly purple with rage and disbelief at the verdict. As much as Lilith didn't want to, she released the silence spell she'd put on him before he exploded. The room filled with his menacing curses and threats.

"Nuthin' but whores and their trained twat lickers, that's what you all are! Got no right to judge me!"

*Lilith, if I were to reconsider what I said a moment ago, he could be the one to do it. I want him to die*

*I'm sure most people in this room do right now*

*I want to be the one to kill him*

One step too far. Lilith gathered her patience and did her best to rein in the Queen's growing wrath.

*That's not appropriate, Collette, and you know it*

Another sigh across their connection.

*You're right, Raenel. Now how do I do this?*

*Task one of the guards of your Court to execute him- one who wasn't involved in capturing him or knew the girl in any way. And make sure whoever it is doesn't finish the kill*

*Why?*

*Because you're issuing justice. Exacting restitution for the crimes he's committed against the Blood is the job of the High Lord. You don't know what else he should be held accountable for. The High Lord will, and will settle the debts*

*What if he doesn't go to Hell after becoming demon-dead? What if he stays here and preys on my people?*

Lilith leveled a stony glare at the man struggling against two Warlords holding him in place. She saw him glance first at Collette and then at her, and then back again. Apparently, he saw something that only made him angrier, because his taunts doubled in volume. Lilith understood very quickly what he had noticed.

Collette was looking at him, but her head was tilted slightly towards her. Obviously, the man figured out that they were talking to one another privately. He returned his malevolent stare to Lilith, and pointed with his free arm.

"She's the one! That bitch next to her isn't rulin' anything here. It's that cunt who's givin' the orders. Troublemakin' bitch!"

Lilith didn't so much as flinch as he hurled insults at her. Thankfully, neither did Collette or anyone in her Court.

*You don't have to worry about him. I'll personally see that he makes it to Hell, and that he's introduced to the High Lord. He won't be back*

*But…you can't go to Hell. It's…*

*Trust me, Collette, I've done this before. I know what I'm doing*

*Okay, if you say so*

"Warlord Yemar, if you please."

"By your command, Lady. Your will is my life."

One second, the condemned man was spewing obscenities at everyone. The next, he collapsed lifeless to the floor, a blast of Purple Dusk bursting through his heart. Lilith breathed a sigh of relief that Collette's Master of the Guard had done just what she asked, and hadn't finished the kill. She wanted to be sure that Daemon Sadi took care of this one personally.

She gave Collette a mental nudge. *Unless you had something else to discuss, I think we're all done here*

*Oh, right*

"This audience is concluded for today. We'll resume session in two days to hear new petitions."

The observers filed out in twos and threes, some groups engaging in serious discussions about what they'd just seen. No doubt it would be the talk of the district for a few days until the shock wore off. It had been a long time since anyone had been executed here. Most people likely didn't remember the purge Lilith had done back then.

After a time, only the Queen and her Guard remained. One of the Warlords toed the body of the dead man.

"What do you want done with this, Lady?"

"Leave it be, Warlord. Lady Raenel will see to its disposal."

"As you command."

When they had gone, Lilith turned to Collette and smiled grimly.

"Well, that went well for your first execution. I wish I could say that there won't be any others, but I'd be lying."

"I suppose this won't end until we've ousted Meredith and her Court."

Lilith shook her head.

"Things like this will happen even after Hayll becomes a healthy Territory again. They happen in Askavi and in Dhemlan and in every other Territory of both Realms."

"But that man- he was poisoned by their influence."

"Yes, but as you put it yourself a moment ago- we can't know if he chose to be the way he was, or if he was pushed into it. Like it or not, there will always be Blood who are naturally inclined to do evil. There is no such thing as a perfect society."

"Oh."

"I would have liked to have let you believe otherwise, but it's kinder to hear the truth now than to be destroyed by the lie later."

"No, no- you're right."

Lilith stepped down towards the middle of the room and stared at the corpse before her. Best get this over with now before he made the transition. And before the High Lord would be receiving in Hell. Lilith had no desire for him to catch her there. She vanished the body.

"I should take care of this."

"Will you be back?"

"Oh yes. This should only take me a few hours or so to deliver him to the right place. Then I'll be back."

Collette looked relieved.

"Good. I had some questions to ask you about this whole Court thing."

"I'll be back as soon as I can to answer them. Sound good?"

"Sure thing."

With that, Lilith bid the young Queen goodbye and headed out. She caught the Ebon-Black Wind running over this part of the city and held onto it until she was clear of Draega. Then she did something she hoped none of the SaDiablos would ever find out she did. She jumped webs between the Realms.

Sure, she could have zipped over to the Keep in Terreille and asked Geoffrey to open the Gate for her to slip into Hell. But then there would be questions. So many questions. He'd want to know why she was going to Hell in the first place. And then he'd want to know why she'd been in Hayll. And so on.

Lilith could bet anything that if Geoffrey started asking those questions, he'd be supplying Daemon Sadi with her answers. This wouldn't be like her occasional requests to use the Keep's library to look at some old reams of Craft. Anything to do with Hayll or Hell would be reported immediately. She couldn't have that.

That meant she had specific rules about how she arrived at the Keep in Terreille- and how she slipped in and out of Hell. In the case of the former, she used the Gate at the Keep in Kaeleer. As for the latter, she had little choice but to jump webs.

Once the jump was made, Lilith groped for the Ebon-Black again. Before long, she was speeding along the Winds on her way to the Keep in Hell. Any other time, she might have made a detour to the island belonging to the _cildru dyathe_. But today she didn't have time to socialize.

She landed lightly just outside the grounds of the Keep, not wanting to leave any trace of her presence on the landing webs. It meant she had a longer walk ahead of her, but it was by far the safer option. Best get to it.

Lilith wrapped herself in a sight shield and hiked up to the great stone fortress that seemed to be one with the mountain around it. It took the better part of a half hour to get close enough that she could pass the body through into an antechamber. She was sure that one of the Keep's residents would notice it and tuck it away until the High Lord returned.

As a final gesture, she penned a quick note relating the circumstances of the man's demise, and let it rest just inside the breast pocket of his shirt. The paper had a spell embedded in it that would resist any attempt to tear it up or destroy it. The only way it was coming out of that pocket was if the High Lord pulled it out himself. That would let Daemon know he needed to look at this one carefully.

Mission accomplished, Lilith faced the downward hike with a lighter step. Not long now and she'd be back to find out what Collette had to ask her. She could only begin to guess, but wouldn't it be fun hearing whatever it was?


	14. Chapter 13: Spies and Pawns

**1/Terreille**

Three months. It had nearly been three whole months since Prince DeSade disappeared from the Hall and no one had heard anything of him since. Meredith was fed up with the incompetence of the witches in her coven. No Warlord Prince like him just vanishes into thin air. Someone had to see _something_.

Desperate to hear some news of him, Meredith had reluctantly decided to reveal that the Prince had escaped. The coven had been asking questions, anyway. So she supposed it was just as well. The only detail she left out was that she didn't know if he still wore his Ring of Obedience. Let them wonder about that for a while.

After the initial shock had worn off, the coven had been furious. It didn't matter that none of them had dared bed him in well over a decade. They were all livid that he was no longer available. And if not for Valinna's help, they would have threatened the stability of the court and her authority in Draega.

But between the two of them, they'd managed to keep the younger witches on a tight rein. She'd been forced to make an example of a few of the more vocal dissenters. Perhaps it was for the best, overall. The witches seemed to have forgotten that she commanded the Gray, and were used to thinking that they had only the Prince to fear.

Now they knew better. She'd given them a reminder of what the Gray was capable of doing. While not prominent members of the court, the two witches Meredith had selected for the demonstration had died in a manner none of their sisters would soon forget. She'd seen the looks on their faces as they'd watched them burn. Ettia and her cousin, especially.

Meredith had suspected more than once in the past month that something was going on with those two, but she never could find anything tangible to justify it. And since the two of them were of the few who _weren't_ trying to tear apart the court over the Prince's disappearance, she couldn't afford to lose them. Not yet.

"What's the name of that cow ruling the northwest districts?"

Valinna's head rose from the book she was reading. She set it aside and thought a moment.

"Lady Olivia."

"That's her- what did she have to say in the last message she sent? Anything about the Prince?"

"I'm afraid not. She and her court haven't seen anyone like Prince DeSade in that part of the city."

Where in the hell had he gone, then? She'd never allowed him to leave Draega, and had always painted the rest of Terreille as a grubby slum unworthy of someone like him. So she doubted he would leave the city.

When he hadn't immediately come after her or her closest coven members, Meredith had expected him to go terrorizing one of the lesser courts. Picking off a few of her weaker allies and stir up trouble in the city seemed a sure plan. Apparently not, since the only chaos she'd heard of lately was the work of lower caste Warlords and Princes.

That thought lead to another train of thought almost as disturbing. Shortly after the coven realized their controlling rings weren't controlling anything, Meredith was receiving reports from her district Queens that none of theirs worked, either. Ringed males were openly rebelling all over the city. All over the Territory, in fact.

Inquiries revealed the horrifying truth: The days of using the Ring of Obedience in Hayll were over.

Meredith was sure that it was the work of that scheming bitch she'd caught just before the Prince disappeared. It all came back to that witch. The loss of the Rings- and then the loss of Prince DeSade. In just a few months that bitch had ripped away two of Meredith's biggest weapons keeping Hayll under her control. No amount of torture could make up for it. The rage boiled over and she couldn't keep silent.

"She's ruined everything!"

"The witch Prince DeSade killed just before he left?"

"Of course her- who else?!"

"I agree, the loss of the Rings has been a setback."

"A _setback_?! Valinna, we've searched everywhere to find where that bitch hid them and have turned up nothing. Without them, what options do we have to keep Blood males under control?"

"I have been looking for references in the old text for a way to create new ones."

"And you've been looking for weeks with nothing to show for it yet."

Valinna looked chagrined. "I had expected the Old Queens would have left more written records of their Craft spells. What little I have found is appallingly lacking. Almost as if it's been purged."

Meredith whole body jerked at the word purged.

"You don't suppose that the witchstorm that destroyed them might have done that, do you?"

"No, I don't think so. If that were true, why leave the other court records intact? And why leave the Protocol books?"

"If it wasn't that, what was it, then? Did they just figure there was no need to write it down?"

The other witch was silent. Meredith tried to keep patient, but she just wanted to strangle her. Why couldn't the witch just tell her what she wanted to know?

"No- it was there. I know I read about it once long ago when I first wanted to understand how the Ring of Obedience worked. But I can't find it now. And while I'm reading, the narration seems to skip a page or two, even if the sentence continues on one side and finishes on the other."

"But no physical sign of a missing page, I'm guessing."

"None at all."

"Someone deliberately stole the pages and repaired the rest of the text so it didn't look like anything was missing."

"That's what I'm beginning to suspect," Valinna agreed.

All the old texts from the Old Queens was heavily guarded here in the Hall. Meredith had kept it safely hidden from most of the coven, even. Only she and Valinna knew where they were, and consulted them rarely. So how could passages of those texts vanish? A thought came to her, unbidden.

"It couldn't be," she hissed in anger.

"Couldn't be what?"

"The only person who seemed Hell bent on hiding every Ring in Hayll. What good would that do if we could just make more?"

"You think that witch with the Sapphire Jewels broke into the archive- guarded by the Gray- and systematically removed all references in the Craft texts about how to make a Ring of Obedience?"

"You don't think so?"

"No Hayllian witches other than you wear the Gray, if you recall."

"Thanks to the Prince, we don't know for sure _what_ the bitch wore or where she was from. I'm not even sure she was Hayllian. The Dhemlan bitches look so similar that it's hard to tell sometimes."

Awful silence filled the room as they considered what it might mean if Dhemlan was sending spies into Hayll to sabotage Meredith's court. Especially if they had witches who wore Jewels as dark as the Gray. Just thinking about what it would do to her plans of ruling Terreille made her want to scream in rage.

"The kindest thing Prince DeSade did for any witch was to finish the kill on that little bitch," she added nastily. "Even he couldn't devise a punishment as gruesome as I would have."

Valinna didn't respond, and picked up her book again. Annoyed by the snub, Meredith snarled low and paced the room. She passed a sumptuous couch and grabbed one of its decorative pillows. Without a thought to how much she'd paid for it, she shredded the costly material and feathers into pieces.

"Well? Don't you have anything useful to say about the situation?"

**2/Terreille**

Valinna sighed inwardly at Meredith's pique. Since the Prince disappeared, there was rarely a day when the Queen wasn't annoyed with her or someone else. If it hadn't meant that she was starting to act like she ruled Draega on her own merits instead of the threats of his, Valinna would find it intolerable.

But she had to admit that this new theory about the unknown witch worried her. Worried her more than she would even admit to Meredith. They had enough chaos to manage in Hayll without the other Territories deciding to intervene. Why start now? For centuries, no one had so much as stepped over the border into Hayll.

That's how Valinna wanted it to stay. She'd heard rumors of what was going on in Askavi and the other Territories. Blood males assuming power and establishing themselves in prominent roles in courts. That wouldn't happen here so long as she was living.

In truth, she was even more angry than Meredith that the Prince had killed their mysterious intruder. She'd wanted to be the one to pick apart the witch's mind and discover what she had been up to. Valinna knew it had to be more than just the Rings. If they hadn't caught her then, what more did she have planned?

No way of knowing that now, although she was certain that Meredith was likely right about the texts. The witch could have been in the Hall for weeks before stealing the Rings. If she was some spy and could get through a Gray shield, she might have had plenty of time to cull through the texts. That little bitch had known just where to hit them to cause the most damage.

"If Dhemlan is sending spies, return the favor."

"Send spies of our own, you mean."

"Exactly."

"And just who would we trust enough to send, yet are expendable enough if they get caught?"

The answer came to her easily enough. And it would solve another problem at the same time, no matter the outcome.

"Send Ettia and her cousin."

"Why them," Meredith asked.

"Because they are the best for the assignment. Think on it this way. Something's off about them lately that neither of us have been able to pin down. Am I wrong?"

Meredith shook her head and stopped pacing long enough to sit down.

"Go on. Where's the advantage in sending them if we don't entirely trust them?"

"If they are discovered and killed, you've lost no one important. If they side with our enemies in Dhemlan, then you know for certain that they were traitors, and they are no longer here to poison the court. And lastly, if they somehow manage to return with something useful, then maybe your demonstration yesterday has made the right impression and silenced whatever they were up to."

"Or they might be cunning enough to feed us what we want to hear so they can go undiscovered a while longer."

Valinna threw the Queen a dubious look. "Cunning? Those two? Bethaeny's head is so full of cotton stuffing that she needs a lead hat to keep it weighed on her shoulders."

"I agree that one doesn't have much in the way of brains. But Ettia has shown herself to be clever at times."

"Clever, but only if she's contributing to someone else's idea. She's no leader."

Meredith pondered her point for some time.

"I suppose I could do no worse than to send them, in any case. If I choose one of the younger witches, they're sure to get themselves killed. Any of the other senior members of the coven will be too costly."

"Especially now."

"I've made up my mind. They'll leave at the end of this week."

"For how long?"

"Two or three weeks. That should be enough time for someone of their experience to ferret out some information. Any longer and I'll expect they're either dead or turned traitor."

"I'm sure they'll look forward to having the honor of such an important mission," Valinna mused drily.

The room filled with Meredith's bitter laugh. She smiled meanly and pressed her hands together.

"Oh yes, honored. Why don't I call a meeting of the coven and bestow such a great honor on them right now so they don't have to wait?"

**3/Terreille**

"The two of you are in for it now," Fawne said breathlessly.

The witch had rushed into the room only a few minutes ago, face flushed and practically bursting with news for them. It had been Ettia's idea to have the servant witches act as spies in Meredith and Valinna's chambers.

At first, it had been difficult to convince any of the other witches to unite against Meredith. Bethaeny had been right, and most of them thought she was a tool to root out any dissenters. But they'd won them over in the end as Meredith's temper grew less and less bearable.

Witches were tired of fearing that the least offense would get them broken or worse. Without the Warlords as a buffer, the Queen had taken to torturing the coven. Her favorite game was dosing you with _safframate_.

Ettia had not yet experienced that particular punishment, but others hadn't been so lucky. Plenty of witches wept for days after being subjected to it. As the punishment became more common, she'd discussed the topic several more times with Bethaeny.

Her cousin was staunchly against using _safframate_ on anyone- including Blood males. Ettia wasn't sure she agreed with her. It was an effective control. Almost as effective as being handed over to the Prince had been.

In any case, the worsening conditions in the Court had made a few of the other coven members reconsider how loyal they need be to Meredith or Valinna. So along with several of the servant witches, a group of them had formed a covert alliance. One of the first goals was to find out what was going on behind the closed doors of Meredith's suite.

As she expected, the servant witches were a perfect solution when it came to getting information. Neither Meredith nor Valinna paid them any attention when they came in to dust or rearrange the furnishings. Hell, they probably could have stood taking notes and no one would have been the wiser. It had been a sure way of eavesdropping on their secret meetings.

In the past month, the Queen and her pet Black Widow had plenty of those. Most of them about the loss of Prince DeSade. Ettia had been right- he wasn't in the Hall, and hadn't been for months. And from the hushed conversations between Meredith and Valinna, they weren't sure he still wore his Ring of Obedience. More than once, Kareal had heard that they expected him to come back to destroy the coven.

So what did Fawne hear today? From the sounds of it, nothing good. Ettia set aside what she was working on and turned to the witch.

"What are they planning now?"

"I hope you and Lady Bethaeny like travelling, because Meredith is sending you both to Dhemlan."

A collective gasp followed the announcement. No one in Hayll had been to Dhemlan in centuries, so it was unusual that Meredith would order it. When Ettia was recovered from the shock, she managed to reply.

"I'm guessing there's a reason?"

Fawne nodded. "They think that witch the Prince killed was a spy from Dhemlan, and decided that they'd send a spy of their own to find out what is going on there."

"And Meredith thought Bethaeny and I were the best to send on the errand?"

"Valinna's the one who suggested it. That bitch really has it out for the two of you, by the way. She may have made a few half-hearted arguments that it would be an excellent way to prove that you were still loyal to the Coven, but I think she is really hoping you're discovered as spies and killed."

It would be a lie to say she was surprised to hear that Valinna was against them. The Black Widow was proving to be more dangerous than Meredith. While the latter might have the power of the Gray behind her, Valinna was the more cunning. After all, hadn't she been the one to position Meredith as the Queen of Hayll in the first place?

"Well, I guess we'll just have to disappoint her and come back alive."

"Not just alive," Fawne replied. "If you don't come back with useful information for Meredith, you'll be branded as traitors. Stay longer than two or three weeks and it's the same thing."

Bethaeny looked at Ettia and shrugged.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later, I suppose."

"Later would be preferable, but if this is what we have to work with, there's not much to be done about it. Although," Ettia continued thoughtfully. "We could just go to Dhemlan, poke around, and tell Meredith what she wants to hear when we get back. How would they know otherwise?"

"Funny you should mention that. Meredith suggested it to Valinna, but she said you weren't clever enough."

That old hag could shove it up her ass for all she cared. Not clever enough, was she? Ettia swore that she would make Valinna eat those words before this was over.

"We'll see about that," she muttered.

The other two witches said nothing, but she could see Bethaeny thinking. Her cousin fidgeted with her sleeves and kept frowning over something. Ettia was tempted to ask her what was on her mind, but decided to wait. She'd get to it soon enough.

"While we're gone- who's going to keep things going here," Bethaeny asked at last.

Good question. Their circle had grown to about ten or twelve witches. It was a fairly even split between the coven and servant witches, but since the idea had been theirs, Ettia and Bethaeny were considered the leaders. Out of the others, not too many were cut out for it.

"I would say either Maeren or Danella."

"What do you think, Fawne?"

Why was Bethaeny asking Fawne? Granted, the girl was a useful tool to spy on Meredith, but she really didn't have much in the way of tactics planning. Might as well ask a fish what direction the wind was blowing. Ettia said nothing, wondering what kind of answer the servant witch would make.

"I would agree with Maeren as a choice, but wouldn't it make sense to pick someone to coordinate on the serving staff side? Sometimes it's harder for one of you to get a message to us about an opportunity and we lose the chance. If we had someone in the servant wing that was in on the planning, it might make things easier."

Not quite a useless answer, but impractical none-the-less. At least from what Ettia thought. It was dangerous to let one of them have any power or authority. Meredith was far more likely to choose a servant for one of her demonstrations. What if she chose their key member and she tortured their plans out of the witch?

That would never do. She sighed and shook her head in dissent.

"I'm afraid I would have to disagree."

"Why, cousin?"

"For their own protection. Think on this, Bethaeny- Meredith decides she's pissed off about something and wants to take it out on someone. Who does she go for first? The maids and housekeeping staff. So what happens to them if she gets hold of someone who knows our plans and our names? It will be the end of them and us."

"Why is that any different than if she chooses one of you?" Fawne insisted.

Ettia sighed, annoyed at having to explain herself.

"Her favorite punishment for the coven lately is to dose us with _safframate_ and shut us up in a locked room for a few days. That is hell, but it's not the same as being methodically broken and tortured in front of an audience. We stand a chance of keeping a secret."

Bethaeny was reluctant, but she nodded. "I see your point," she admitted. "It might be too dangerous right now to share anything too crucial to the most vulnerable members of the group."

"But…"

"Fawne, it's dangerous enough that you know as much as you do. If Meredith ever suspected that you knew who in the coven was planning subversion, she would rip you apart to get the information- slowly and viciously."

"I guess so, but I still think we could use some better organization on our side of the Hall."

The witch looked determined not to let this go.

*Since you started this, you're in charge of satisfying the witch, cousin*

Bethaeny glanced at her and gave a small shrug.

*Fine, I'll handle it. I do agree that they need to be more than just errand runners and messengers, anyway*

*Do what you want* Ettia replied shortly.

*Why are you so irritated about this? After all, you agreed that we should bring in members outside the coven to make this work*

*I just don't want anything to jeopardize our chance to rout Meredith. It would only take one tortured confession to ruin us all*

*I think you underestimate their strength, Ettia*

*And I think you overestimate it*

A few minutes passed, and Ettia could tell that her cousin wasn't happy with the tone of their argument. Her annoyance simmered over their connection. With a slight inclination of her head, Bethaeny acknowledged her last message and sent one of her own.

*I'll leave this go for now, but when we get back from Dhemlan, we need to talk about this*

With that, she broke the connection and turned to the other witch.

"Why don't we look for opportunities to improve your network and we'll reassess again when my cousin and I return? In the meantime, I agree that Maeren and Danella should make decisions about operations here while we are gone."

"I'll inform them of the plan after Meredith and Valinna have broken the news about our departure to the coven."

Everything settled- at least for now- the three of them left the suite. Ettia wasn't sure what to make of her cousin's behavior today. She wasn't sure what happened, but lately Bethaeny seemed to be siding with the staff more than her own peers. Aside from Maeren, Ettia wasn't sure how much she communicated with them. So who was she spending her time with?

Yes, when they returned from Dhemlan, maybe it was time to reassess things. Ettia might have a few changes of her own to make.


	15. Chapter 14: Courses Obscured and Aligned

**1/Terreille**

It was time. Lilith couldn't put it off any longer, and knew she had to go check on Tarine's district. She hadn't been there since before she had edged her way into Meredith's court…the first time. Counting back the weeks, that was nearly four months ago. Far too long, even for a court as well established as Tarine's was.

Secretly, she'd been hoping that Alex would move on before she went back there. Facts were facts. If he hadn't contacted her by now, he wasn't going to. 'Nelle was going to be very upset when she came back with him. Especially given how long she had been gone. Haedyn and Taenne must be driving her crazy by now.

But two angry Arcerian Warlord Princes in Kaeleer were the least of her worries right now. Lilith was far more worried about the angry Hayllian Warlord Prince here in Draega. The last thing she wanted to do was run into him unexpectedly while she was in the district. After the way she'd left, things were awkward enough.

Lilith supposed that she was a coward, but she slipped into Tarine's district as far from where she knew Alex to be and made a beeline for the Queen's residence. At this time of day, it was alive with court business, but she knew where she could find Tarine. Audiences were over for the day, but she'd be reviewing appointments with her Steward in one of the smaller salons.

The Warlord at the entrance was new, so Lilith wasn't surprised when he stopped her from entering the building.

"Your name, Lady?"

"I am Raenel, Warlord."

His eyes rounded in surprise. Lilith tried not to show her amusement as he pulled himself together. Everyone in the community had heard of her. How could they not, she supposed. But few of them spoke with her directly these days.

"Lady Raenel, you said?"

"Indeed so."

Now that the initial shock had worn off, the Warlord looked skeptical. Lilith could well appreciate why. Plenty of witches thought they could impersonate her and get away with it. They were all very wrong, of course. But that didn't mean any of the Queens weren't wary of anyone claiming to be Lady Raenel. They taught their courts the same wariness.

"I have to ask…" he began.

"I'm not offended, Warlord. I am most happy to give you a demonstration to prove I am who I say."

He looked relieved, and waited. Lilith smiled and called in the illusion she presented as proof of her identity. As it unfolded, the elaborate flower bloomed and shimmered in the sun. From stem to petal, it was a work of intricate Craft that no one else could reproduce.

The Warlord stared at it for some time. Judging from the look on his face, her identity was not in question. Rather, he seemed mesmerized by the illusion. Lilith let it fade, or else they may stand there all day. Once it was put away, the Warlord snapped back to attention.

"The descriptions don't do it justice, Lady."

"I'm glad you found it so impressive. Is Lady Tarine in residence today?"

"She is, Lady. Do you require an escort?"

Lilith shook her head with a laugh. "No thank you, Warlord. I think I can find her. If my guess is correct, Lord Braetyn has her buried under a pile of appointments and petitions."

"You know Lord Braetyn well, Lady."

As Lilith passed through the doorway, she laughed again. She'd rarely met anyone so well suited to the position of Steward as Lord Braetyn. The man brought more enthusiasm to paperwork than Scelties herding sheep. Tarine was either very lucky or very unlucky.

The Queen's residence was looking better and better with every visit. Lilith couldn't help noticing that since she was here last, they'd added an additional wing. And inside, the rooms were showing signs of skilled craftsmen and artisans from the district. Where there used to be bare walls and empty hallways stood pieces of fine furniture and decorative weavings. Tarine was doing well, and it showed.

At last she came to the door of Lord Braetyn's records room. From inside, she heard the voices of the Steward and the Queen. The latter sounded about at the end of her patience, so Lilith thought it best to rescue the poor man before she clobbered him with his own appointment book. She gave a perfunctory knock and entered.

"Lord Braetyn, what in name of Hell are you pestering Lady Tarine about now? I can hear the two of you from out in the hall."

Tarine looked up from the hopeless mess of paperwork on the desk, her face lit with a relieved smile.

"Raenel! You have perfect timing. Convince him that I can't possibly go through all of these," she complained , gesturing in front of her.

Tarine's Steward was determined to defend his position, and crossed his arms.

"Right after she's done convincing you that you need to review the petitions to be ready for tomorrow's audiences."

"Oh no, you two are not putting me in the middle."

"But Raenel…"

Lilith held up her hands for silence. She gave each of them a stern look and stepped closer to examine the disaster piled almost a foot high. With a raised eyebrow, she considered Tarine.

"Your Court- right now you have only a First Circle?"

"Yes of course."

"And how many make up that circle?"

"Twelve males and five witches."

"They all have duties, yes?"

Tarine seemed baffled by the line of questions, but she answered anyway.

"They're all very busy, actually."

"And how's the Court's treasury at this point? From what I saw walking in, it looks like people of the district are able to fulfill their tithes and you're doing well."

"This quarter went especially well, but I expect to see that trend continue."

"So you have finances enough to start thinking about a Second Circle."

"A Second Circle," Tarine echoed.

"We went over that in the Protocol lessons. As a court grows and becomes stronger, it becomes necessary to provide openings for additional circles. Your Second Circle are trusted enough to take care of personal assignments, but are not quite as close to you as your First Circle."

Lilith picked up one of the petitions and glanced over its contents absently. She let it drift back to the desk.

"Sorting and summarizing petitions sounds perfect for someone in a Second Circle position, don't you think? I'm sure that even a man who loves paperwork as much as Lord Braetyn could use an assistant in here."

Steward and Queen were dumbstruck for a few minutes, and Lilith settled into a chair to wait for them to recover. She couldn't fault them for being surprised. Neither of them likely thought that their court would survive, much less grow to the point that they needed more than the First Circle.

Tarine spoke first.

"I guess we didn't realize that the Court had gotten that big. It didn't seem that way."

"Tarine, my darling. Whether you realize it or not, aside from Meredith, you have the largest court in all of Hayll."

She couldn't tell if the expression on Tarine's face was shock or horror.

"You're not serious."

"Absolutely serious. Not even Meredith's pet Queens have half as many members in their courts. Hell, if I were to judge them by the standards of the Old Ways, none of them even _have_ courts. They have covens of frightened and brutalized witches, nothing more."

"How long, then, before Meredith realizes that we're here?"

"If not for the uproar caused by destroying all the Rings of Obedience in the city…she would likely know in less than a month or two. But since she's focused on keeping her coven in line, we have some time yet."

"How much time?"

Lilith considered what information she'd learned over the past three months. The pet Queens were hanging onto their districts- barely. Meredith would have to divert resources to them if she hoped to keep control of Draega. And then she had her core coven to deal with. Lilith had seen fissions and rebellion building there as well.

"A year , maybe two." A wicked smile bloomed on her lips. "If I give her more trouble elsewhere, it could be as many as five."

"I see."

"Will you be ready by then, Tarine?"

The Queen gave her a measured look. She was by no means naïve, and heard the double question. With a glance at Lord Braetyn and gave him a brief nod.

"Would you excuse Lady Raenel and me, Lord Braetyn? We'd like to finish this conversation in private."

"Your will is my life, Lady."

"Thank you. Maybe you could draw up a list of potential candidates for an assistant position and we can look at it later today?"

"I'll do that."

With that, Lord Braetyn left the room swiftly. Lilith knew she shouldn't be worried anymore, but she sent a light psychic probe after him to get a sense of his opinion. As expected, he didn't seem bothered that they wished to talk alone and Tarine had asked him to be excused. In truth, he was far more excited about the possibility of training an assistant to take offense. She breathed an inward sigh of relief.

But now it was time to deal with what she'd just let out of its box. Tarine leaned forward, resting her forearms on the desk. She regarded Lilith seriously for several minutes before saying anything.

"When you ask if I'm ready, it's not just Meredith you're talking about, are you?"

"Eliminating Meredith isn't going to be the most difficult challenge to face," she admitted.

"I can't imagine that she will be an easy opponent to battle."

"I never said it would be easy," Lilith countered. "I said that by comparison, it is the easier feat to tackle."

"Do I dare ask what is worse?"

"Filling the vacuum left behind once a regime- especially an oppressive one- has fallen. It's rebuilding that takes more work."

Tarine listened thoughtfully while Lilith continued with her point.

"That's why Hayll crumbled in the first place. After Dorothea and Hekatah were destroyed, there was no way to replace their corrupt Courts with healthy ones."

"Which is what you've been doing for nearly half a century." She hesitated. "Meredith's coven could have been destroyed a long time ago- couldn't it?"

"Yes. If that's all that needed done, it could have been done decades ago."

"Was it worth it, Raenel? While we've been waiting, she's destroyed countless witches and Blood males."

"That's true. Tell me, Tarine- how many would have died in the chaos that followed and how can you know that another Meredith couldn't have risen to power when it was over? You saw for yourself the effort it takes and the bloodshed required to heal just one district."

Tarine shuddered at the memories of those early days. Very bloody times to purge all of the tainted Blood from the district and maintain control over those willing to learn. Executions and harsh punishments had been common- and necessary. But Lilith had always performed them with as much fairness as possible.

"Now imagine that city-wide. Territory-wide."

"That's what's coming," Tarine whispered.

"Yes. Which is why I ask you if you are ready."

"Just me? Or have you been asking all the Queens?"

"I have asked them the same words, but not the same question."

"I don't know if I like the sound of that."

"I doubt you will."

Lilith drew a long inward breath and revealed the true purpose of her question. "Tarine, you're my choice for Hayll. When Meredith's coven is gone, you will be Territory Queen. I need to know if you are ready for that challenge."

Stunned silence followed her words. Tarine looked dazed and slightly ill at the prospect of becoming Territory Queen one day. Lilith took that as a good sign for Hayll. Anyone grasping to rule either didn't appreciate the gravity of what it meant…or was thinking only of the power and wealth it would bring.

"That is a lot of lives to be responsible for," she said at last.

"You'll have help," Lilith assured her. "I'm sure that you'll find suitable Queens in our network who have the ability to become Province Queens, and they can assist to settle the other districts. I'd never ask you to do it alone."

"You're really serious, aren't you?"

"Absolutely and without question."

"We have a lot of work to do, then."

**2/Kaeleer**

Daemon headed to Tersa's cottage, hoping she might have some answers for him. It had been two months since Jaenelle Saetien and the cats had gone to Ebon Rih, and they were no closer to finding out when Lilith would be coming back to Dhemlan. The last time he'd gone to visit Jaenelle Saetien, she was thoroughly distraught over the matter.

But she was not any closer to telling him where her friend had gone. He'd tried the cats as well. They were just as silent. Even Lucivar hadn't been able to goad them into revealing anything. So when that failed him, Daemon turned to one person who might be able to help.

Jolinne was grinding powders in the kitchen when he entered Tersa's cottage in Halaway. Daemon nodded to her with a smile and paused long enough to find out where to find his mother. As usual, she was in her workroom. Out of respect, he stopped just outside the door and knocked.

"Hello, Darling. You look busy, but I thought we'd visit if you had time."

Tersa turned around and smiled at him in her faraway way. She brushed her tangled hair away from her face.

"There's always time for what's important."

"Where would you like to talk?"

"This is a good place."

They didn't usually talk in her workroom, so Daemon was a little surprised she wanted to stay here. But he slipped his hands in his trouser pockets and balanced against the back of a chair. Tersa didn't move, standing in front of her worktable. He couldn't be sure, but Daemon thought he saw a tangled web in a frame behind her. He wasn't here to ask about that, but it did give him an idea where to begin the conversation.

Since this issue with Lilith's disappearance came up two months ago, he'd attempted to weave tangled webs that would locate her in Kaeleer. After all, it shouldn't be that difficult for him.

Far from getting the results he'd expected, the webs had shown him something chilling different. The images he'd seen weren't clear, but they spoke of warnings and death. Up to now, he hadn't shared what he'd seen with anyone. Maybe he should share it with Tersa.

"I was thinking lately that maybe Jaenelle Saetien isn't the only one who needs to keep up with lessons in Black Widow Craft," he began, taking a round about way to the point.

Tersa considered him cautiously before nodding her agreement.

"Practice shows new paths and strengthens the old."

"I'm not sure whether it's the new or the old that has me tripped up lately."

"The threads must balance. Must find the _right_ balance."

They talked for a long while about theory and lessons that he knew well about creating tangled webs. Tersa's mind wandered here and there, sometimes leaving the subject altogether. But Daemon let her talk without trying to steer the conversation. If he was going to get any help, he would have to gather it from the pieces of what Tersa told him. It was a technique Lucivar had taught him, but that didn't mean it wasn't frustrating sometimes.

Tersa frowned at him after a time, thoughts turned inward. She turned back to the web behind her on the table.

"The web that hides," she said at last. "The snare that traps and obscures all others."

Daemon held his breath. He didn't dare interrupt her thoughts, hoping that maybe she might be able to give him some insight.

"It binds even as it unravels, blinding all but the one who can shatter it."

"Seems like a risky gamble."

"A dangerous web," Tersa whispered. "For the weaver and the lives bound in the web."

She knew. The ominous visions he'd had lately mirrored what Tersa was telling him. Not quite in the same images, but the message was the same. Of course, that didn't mean that he had any better idea what they _meant_. Daemon risked pushing his luck.

"Darling, I need to ask you something important. I need to know if Jaenelle Saetien has woven something to hide where her friend Lilith has gone."

Tersa shook her head.

"My little Sister can weave well, but even her webs are snared in the weaver's web."

So much for that theory. Daemon didn't know whether to be relieved or more alarmed. If this wasn't Jaenelle's doing, who could it be? He tried to play it off as if he wasn't worried.

"I suppose I should have guessed as much, since it would seem my webs aren't faring any better."

Tersa shifted to the side, allowing him to see for the first time her web. Without knowing why, he felt an instinctive rush of fear sweep through him as he looked at it. She half turned to him, expression hauntingly eerie and sad. Daemon shuffled over to his mother as she beckoned him to stand beside her.

"Webs can't be built this way," he struggled to say.

"A web meant to endure- no, it could not be built this way."

"What is it built to do?"

"Shatter."

"But why?"

"The weaver weaves the web, but the memories chose the path it will take in the end."

Daemon was afraid to ask his next question, but he needed to know. He had to know if the vision he'd seen was as bad as he thought.

"What will happen to the weaver at the path's end?"

Tersa stretched out a hand towards the web and skimmed her index finger along a slender thread holding the web together. The weaver. Daemon saw places where it was worn thin, stretched to the limit. Even the light brush of a finger made the whole web tremble.

His mother was looking directly at him, eyes unusually focused and intense. She didn't say a word, and viciously snapped the thread. The whole web collapsed into a twisted mass of spidersilk. Daemon's mouth went dry as he stared at it.

"Who is the weaver, Tersa?"

"Ask the Lost Dreamer," she replied, shaking her head.

Ice sluiced down the valley of his spine. Webs, weavers and dreamers. If he didn't know better, he would swear that Tersa was trying to tell him that Witch walked the Realms. Daemon couldn't believe that was true. The Dream had come and gone with Jaenelle Angelline. No matter how much he still felt the loss of his Queen, he would not tempt himself with thoughts that she could come back.

Mother Night, she couldn't come back. Daemon didn't know what it would do to him- to any of them- if she came back. He'd grown to love Surreal and the life they'd built with their daughter. But if Jaenelle came back, Daemon wasn't sure he wouldn't walk away from them to be with her instead.

Tersa seemed to be waiting for his reply. She must have known the turmoil he was feeling, and brought a hand to his cheek. For awhile, neither of them moved or said anything.

"She…I…" he began haltingly, but couldn't bring himself to finish the thought.

"The Lost Dreamer will have the answers."

"How long?"

Vagueness and exhaustion crept into Tersa's eyes.

"It is not yet time. But soon."

That answer would have to do. Daemon could tell that she was reaching the limits of what she could give him. He slid his arms around her and kissed her temple gently.

"We'll just have to wait for this Lost Dreamer, then, won't we?"

Tersa was silent, staring down at the remnants of the web. Worry and fear lurked there, making him uneasy. If even she was worried about this, Daemon knew that something was very wrong. But there was nothing to do about it now. Until this Lost Dreamer appeared, they'd have to try to find something to distract from the worry.

"Any chance there might be nutcakes to eat while we're waiting?"

She gave him a knowing smile.

"There might be."

**3/Terreille**

She was here. Alex had heard whispers in the marketplace this morning that spoke of Lady Raenel's return. If not for the rumors, he never would have known she'd come to the district. Since they'd parted three months ago, he'd been unable to track her Jewels. Short of sending a message on an Ebon-gray thread, he'd had no way of knowing where she might be.

He wondered if Lilith knew he was here. The masking spell he used to hide his Jewels from the locals was fed by the Ebon Black, so it might be effective enough to hide them from her, too. Alex feelings on that matter were torn. If she didn't know he was here, he might be able to catch her before she got away. On the other, he had a foolish hope that she might have come looking for him.

Doubtful. And if she was, Alex wasn't sure her reasons would be happy ones. Over the past few months, he'd spent a lot of time thinking about what he'd done that night. Alex was convinced he'd done the unforgivable, and the guilt gnawed at him. He should have let her go as she had asked in the beginning.

"Something on your mind, Vrede?"

Alex looked up from the half empty cup on the bar in front of him. The barkeep was refilling a mug with beer for another patron, but his look was directed at him. With a shrug, Alex hoped that he was convincingly nonchalant. It didn't work. The barkeep handed the mug off and came over to this end of the bar.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"You look like something's eatin' at you."

"How can you tell, Chaeke? Weren't you the one who said last week that I always look too serious?"

"Yessir I did, but there's something different today. Was just wonderin' what it was."

The man was genuinely interested in Alex's problem, whatever it was. Even after so many months, he wasn't quite used to what it was like here. The friendly camaraderie in the community was an oddity in and of itself, but even more bizarre when it was aimed at him.

His Jewels, caste and reputation in Meredith's court had kept him isolated from the rest of the Blood. But here he was looked at like an equal to everyone else.

"It's nothing really. I was just musing over some rumors I heard today."

"Aye, I suspect the whole district is talking about Lady Raenel's arrival. It'll be awhile before she makes a tour of the neighborhoods. First day she's usually cloistered with Queen Tarine."

"What does she do when she's here, usually? I haven't been here long enough to see her yet."

A whistle from the other end of the bar called Chaeke's attention away for a few minutes. He was back in no time, and picked up a dry towel to polish a few glasses.

"Usually comes around to give Protocol lessons to the youngsters and debate the finer points of the Blood Code with some of the older ones. Sometimes she'll offer advice if there's been trouble in the community."

"Isn't that something Queen Tarine does?" Alex asked politely.

"Queen Tarine makes decisions about what is or isn't done in the district now."

Alex caught the subtle inflection on his words and grabbed onto it.

"Now?"

"Long ago when we first started, Lady Raenel led the community. But she turned it over to the Queen a few decades ago. So now she does things differently. She's not giving commands or rulings anymore- not without the Queen's permission, anyway."

"I see."

"You'll get a better idea what it's like when she comes around in a day or so."

Alex hesitated to ask his next question, but figured it wouldn't hurt to find out as much as he could.

"What sort of witch is she?"

"How do you mean?"

"I mean, no one really said what Jewels she wears or her caste. If she's so close with Queen Tarine, I was thinking she might be one, too."

"Nah," the barkeep said, shaking his head. "Lady Raenel is a gifted Healer and a Black Widow, but she's not a Queen."

Well, that meant Lilith was hiding her caste from more than just him. Interesting. Alex had assumed that when she wasn't in Meredith's court, she didn't hide what she was. Apparently, he'd assumed wrong. So what reason did she have for keeping it a secret around here?

Alex set that thought aside to follow up on the other half of his question.

"And her Jewels?"

"Never seen them myself, and there's been speculation on that score from others, too. No one's quite sure what they are, but based on what I've seen, they lean towards the darker ranks."

"I wonder if they're anything as dark as any of the bitches in Meredith's coven," he suggested idly, hoping to prod more information out of Chaeke.

"It's unlikely they're _that_ dark, Warlord. Most of the stronger witches were killed off by _them_ centuries ago."

His opinion was in keeping with what Alex expected to hear. After all, Lilith had told him she kept her rank Jewels hidden under illusions to protect herself. He wasn't surprised that included the times when she was in safer communities like this one. So he let the subject drop and took another drink.

"Well, I guess as you say, I'll see for myself in a few days."

"If you're that curious, you could go attend one of the open audiences in the Queen's Residence tomorrow," Chaeke suggested. "Lady Raenel usually attends them while she's here."

"Does she? I might have to think about that."

Alex stood and drained the last of the contents of his cup. When he waved away the offer to refill it, the barkeep gave him a nod.

"Headed out, then?"

"Yeah, there are things I ought to get before the shops close for the evening."

"See you around, Vrede."

It was time he left, anyway. The evening crowd was starting to drift in, and before long, the tavern would be packed with witches and Warlords alike. The Warlords he could handle, but Alex was still on edge around witches. If not pressed into close quarters with them, he did all right.

But in places like this he felt cornered and uncontrolled. More than once he had to make a hasty exit before doing something he'd regret. Even Chaeke had noticed how uncomfortable he was around witches. After the first few weeks of coming in here, Alex recognized that the casual flirtation from the barmaids and regular guests stopped.

He suspected that the barkeep had something to do with that. Not that he minded. In fact, he'd been grateful that someone had solved the problem instead of him. It saved Alex the misfortune of killing some witch who'd really meant him no harm. Whatever Chaeke had said to the witches in the tavern, they gave him a wide berth when Alex was there.

Still, best not to go asking for trouble. So he stepped out into the streets fast darkening with the coming night. Before he went back to his rented suite at the inn, he wanted to stop at the bookseller. The library in Meredith's Hall was one of the only things he missed.

The bell jingled merrily as he entered the shop. At this hour, not many patrons were browsing the shelves of books. Alex nodded at the shopkeeper and stopped at the counter.

"Anything new in lately?"

"New shipment came in yesterday. Got a few new authors in that you might find interesting, Vrede."

"Yeah?"

"Well, they're new for me, but the books were written some time ago. You'll see the titles over on that middle shelf- Shadow and Tracker series."

Alex turned on his heel and walked up to the shelf in question. He plucked one of the books out of the group and flipped through several pages to get a sense of the story. After a few paragraphs, he was close to laughing at the antics and interplay of the characters. Oh yes, he knew he was going to enjoy this series.

Who would have had the imagination to invent the idea of animals who wore Jewels? Alex couldn't have pictured it himself. In Meredith's Hall there had been few pets, so he didn't have much experience around them. But in his boyhood he could have used the company of a talking dog like Shadow.

He grabbed two of the books, telling himself that he couldn't possibly finish reading the whole series in a day or so. And if he found the courage to talk to Lilith, he might be leaving this district as early as the end of the week. If he didn't, well, he could always come back and buy the rest when he'd read these.

"You're right. These are perfect."

"I thought as much. Only two this time?"

"Trying not to bite off more than I can chew," Alex replied good-naturedly. "That last set was a lot more challenging to finish than I expected."

"Well, there's plenty more in the series once you've finished off those. If you like them, I'm sure you'll be back soon enough."

"That I will." Alex pulled out a few silver marks to pay for the purchase. "I'll be seeing you."

"May the Darkness embrace you, Vrede."

With a nod, Alex left. He'd heard that farewell said all over the community, but still didn't know how to reply to it. He'd never heard it before coming here. Once or twice, he'd almost asked Chaeke what it meant, but always changed his mind at the last minute. Maybe he'd ask next time he was in the tavern.

As he was walking back to the inn, Alex realized that aside from the issues he still had with witches, he'd grown almost comfortable with this pretend life. In his heart he knew he wasn't meant to be a light-Jeweled Warlord living a quietly unobtrusive life in Draega. But part of him was enjoying the freedom of that kind of existence.

Did he really want to trade it for the unknown future he'd face if he left with Lilith for…well, wherever she was going to take him. He didn't know his family or what they'd be like. But he had a feeling that he'd have to face the man he really was, not the one he was pretending to be here. Would they be able to accept him?

Would he be able to accept himself?

**4/Kaeleer**

'Nelle's whole body ached. She was sore all over from all the practicing with her cousins. Titian had promised to go easy on her when she got here two months ago. No different than if it had been Lucivar or the Boyos, anyone who believed that was in for a nasty surprise. The Yaslanas didn't know what the word 'easy' meant when it came to practice. Even after all these weeks, 'Nelle still felt like a worn out dishrag when practice was over.

She collapsed on her bed, not even caring that she hadn't changed clothes first. The door to the cottage opened, and 'Nelle turned her head to see Titian slip inside. Small favors- she was alone. That was something, at least. She was so not in the mood to deal with males right now. Even so, she wasn't all that thrilled to see Titian, either.

"Here to finish me off, are you?"

"Cheer up, cousin. You're improving."

"Yeah, I can move after you're done with me. I suppose that's an improvement of some kind."

"It wouldn't be so bad if you would practice when you were back home," Titian suggested sympathetically.

"There are really not a whole lot of partners to practice with at home. Dhemlan witches aren't so eager to learn how to spar with one another."

Her cousin flopped down onto the bed next to 'Nelle and gave her shoulder a light tap.

"Perhaps Papa should return your visit and fix that."

"Oh no. No no no. There is no need to get the witches of Halaway pissed off at me for bringing Lucivar down on them."

"You could practice with Lilith. She seemed to do all right when she had her first lessons."

'Nelle's eyes narrowed in suspicion. Any time her uncle or cousins mentioned Lilith, she had to wonder if her father put them up to it. Too often, their offhand questions sounded more like an interrogation. She had to be very careful what she said.

"Mmm…perhaps. Although I think I'll have to wait in line after the kitties. They've been working extra hard these past few months and I think they mean to prove a point."

"Haedyn and Taenne have many points- particularly with their claws and teeth."

Rolling over on her side, 'Nelle risked a laugh.

"I have a feeling they're going to get into trouble when she gets back."

"Oh c'mon. It was only a matter of time before Papa was going to train them. He's trained every Arcerian who's come to live at the Hall."

"I know, I know. But I think we were hoping to push it off a little while longer."

"I'll bet you ten silver marks that Lilith doesn't even make a comment about the training when she gets back."

Well, there was no losing that bet if she took it. 'Nelle knew that Lilith would have tons to say about the kitties' newly learned skills when she came back. Particularly what Haedyn and Taenne expected to do with them.

That is, if she came back.

Worry has blossomed into terror over the past month. In all the years that 'Nelle had known her, Lilith had _never_ stayed in Terreille this long without returning to Kaeleer. And her friend had most definitely not returned to this realm. All of their friends said they'd not seen her.

If this went on for another week, she was resigned to confess to Papa where Lilith had gone. There was nothing else to be done about it. None of the webs she'd woven since arriving in Ebon Rih had shown her anything useful about the situation. All she'd accomplished was to scare herself even more.

She was roused from her thoughts by a poke from Titian. Her cousin was studying her closely. Hell.

"You do know when she's coming back, don't you?"

"As much as any of us ever knows," 'Nelle tried to brush off. "You know what she's like- all mysterious about where she goes and what she's doing."

"Yeah, I know what she's like. I just figured that she actually told you what it was she was up to."

"Not as much as I'd like."

"Oh."

Conversation paused for a moment while Titian considered her words.

"Lilith _is_ coming back, isn't she?"

"She damn well better," 'Nelle grumbled. "I am _not_ explaining to Papa that she's gone and we're stuck with the kitties."

"No kidding."

'Nelle decided to press her cousin to see just who was behind this conversation. And for once, she was glad her cousin was Eyrien. Unlike the Dhemlan witches in Halaway, she could just ask Titian a straight question without dancing around with a lot of sideways chatter.

"Did Uncle Lucivar want you to ask me about where Lilith is?"

"He might have."

"And does that have anything to do with the conversation we're having now?"

"It might," Titian replied with a shrug. "But I might also be wondering where my friend is- and why you're so worried that she's been gone so long."

'Nelle leaned close, dropping her voice low.

"Trust me, Titian, you don't want to know the answer to either of those things. And neither do they."

"Why not? What can be worse than not knowing?"

_It could be a lot worse_, she thought to herself. Far worse to know and be helpless to do anything about it. 'Nelle was silent, unable to answer her cousin's question. Instead, she glanced around the familiar decorations of the cottage and tried not to think about how bad it could be in Terreille.

"I see."

Titian stood up and crossed the room. She paced the oval braided rug on the floor several times before saying anything else.

"Is it worse than the time we all went hiking with Haedyn and Taenne in the mountains in Glacia and got lost for a few days?"

'Nelle still couldn't answer.

"Worse than the time we dared each other to go to Arachnia…and then did it? Nothing in Kaeleer is worse than that."

Silence was the only response she had. If she said anything, it would give away too much. But 'Nelle worried that was a foregone issue already. Titian wheeled around suddenly, a horrified look on her face.

"Mother Night, 'Nelle. Don't tell me that she's left Kaeleer."

"If you recall, we've all left this realm at some time or another. We've all been to Dena Nehele and Shalador Nehele. Your brothers have spent years in Askavi Terreille, even."

"Yeah, but even so…most of Terreille isn't very safe. Especially not for a witch alone."

"I didn't say that's where she went, did I?"

"But you haven't said the opposite, either."

"Titian, I'm not telling you where she went."

"Why? Because you think I'll tattle on you both to Papa and Uncle Daemon? I can keep a secret, you know."

"I know you can. But this isn't my secret to tell." After a few minutes of hard looks at one another, 'Nelle sighed. "She made me promise, Titian."

There was nothing her cousin could say to that. They both knew how important it was to keep a promise once it was made. So Titian let it drop.

"All right. So you can't tell me. What can I do to help you until she comes back?"

"Help me keep them distracted. At least for one more week. I'll decide what to do by then."

"A distraction, huh? I think I can manage that well enough."

The devious grin on Titian's lips boded ill for everyone, but 'Nelle told herself that she'd take whatever help she could get. She just hoped whatever mischief her cousin had in mind wouldn't get them into any more trouble than she was going to be in in already when Lilith got back. Her Papa would have more than enough yelling to do when this was finally over.


	16. Chapter 15: A Reluctant Mediator

**1/Terreille**

Alex wasn't sure if he'd made the wisest decision, but it was too late to change his mind now. The public audience session with Queen Tarine was about to begin and he was too close to the petition circle to get clear of the crowds. Any other day, he could have slipped out any of the doors. But today, the room was full from wall to wall with people.

No doubt they were all here to see Lady Raenel. Like him, he supposed. But few- if any- of them were dreading what she might say to them when she arrived. Alex wasn't feeling so optimistic. He kept a tight rein on his disguise, and hoped that it would allow him to stand in the crowd undetected. At least until he'd made up his mind whether he was going to talk to her or not.

One of the side doors opened, and conversations in the crowded hall lowered to a murmur. Feet shuffled around him as everyone waited for what would happen next. And then Queen Tarine walked into the room with the Warlords of her First Circle. Alex held his breath as one last witch slipped in behind them.

Lilith.

The room fell silent as the court took positions in the hall. Tarine sat in a high-back chair, while the Warlords flanked her from behind. Meanwhile, Lilith chose a seat off to the side. If she thought it would make her less noticeable, she was very wrong. Speculative looks were cast in her direction from all over the room.

Everyone waited to hear what would happen next. At last, the Queen spoke.

"Good morning. We have a full schedule today and I want to be sure to get to everyone's petitions before this session concludes for the day. We'll start with the discussion about setting up an artisan's guild for the weavers in the district. Will the parties step forward and present your claims?"

Several witches and Warlords stepped into the petitioner's circle and began speaking to the court. Alex only half listened to them, his attention focused on Lilith.

*I see you decided to come for the spectacle, Vrede?*

He half turned towards Chaeke, who had elbowed his way next to him.

*I'm not sure spectacle is quite the right way to describe it* Alex replied on a spear thread. *Queen Tarine seems to be keeping things under control*

*True, true. But I guarantee you that most people here today didn't come to listen to the petitions*

*What did they come here for, then? Just to stare at Lady Raenel?*

*Aren't you?*

*I'm _not_ staring*

Chaeke said nothing for a few minutes, but the look on his face was enough. Alex sighed inwardly.

*Okay, maybe just a little*

*If you were hoping not to be so obvious, you might want to work harder at it.*

*Who says I'm obvious?*

*Well, you seem to have caught the Lady's attention, in any case. She's looking this way*

Alex didn't want to look, but he made himself do it anyway. Chaeke was right. Lilith was looking right at them. Even though the set of her expression hadn't changed at all, he knew she'd recognized him. So much for that illusion spell.

As soon as she was sure that he knew she'd seen him, Lilith inclined her chin slightly. Alex did the same, which made Chaeke glance suspiciously from one to the other. He wasn't going to let that go.

*I thought you said you'd never met Lady Raenel before*

*We met…once. But she wasn't Lady Raenel then*

*I'm guessing there's a whole lot more to that story that you're not going to tell me*

*There's not a whole lot I dare say without the Lady's permission* Alex replied, picking his words carefully.

*I guess that'll have to do*

They both fell silent, more or less occupied by their thoughts. Alex was sure that Chaeke would definitely chew on theories about what might have happened for a few weeks. If he stayed in this district, the question was going to come up again, too. There was nothing he could do about that now. Just like he couldn't do anything about whatever Lilith would- or wouldn't- say to him once this audience was over.

"Hell," he muttered under his breath.

Chaeke raised an eyebrow at him, but didn't comment. Meanwhile, the next set of petitioners was gearing up for their turn in the queue. He'd missed the introduction, and wasn't sure what it was about. Tarine was listening to their sides while Warlord Braetyn drafted up the court's decision about the artisan's guild.

If not for Lilith's presence in the room, this would have felt like any other day at Court. Tarine and her First Circle conducted their audiences like this twice a week, as Alex knew quite well. He had made a point of attending a few of them shortly after the incident with the branded Warlord, just to see what this Queen was like.

He'd also made a point to get books on Protocol from the bookseller. After hearing unfamiliar terms thrown around in the first few weeks, he had needed some idea what people were talking about. When he'd asked about it, the man had pointed to a fully stocked shelf of Protocol books. Although skeptical, Alex had bought a set.

Well over two months later and he still hadn't made it much more than halfway. The rules were so alien from anything Meredith had ever drilled into him that he wondered if the bookseller had been playing some kind of joke. Doggedly, Alex had kept reading, and gradually began to realize that Tarine and the Blood she ruled really did abide by that Code.

Obviously, Lilith had brought it to this place from wherever she was from. Certainly no Protocol books like them were printed in Hayll. And if Meredith knew of their existence, she would crush this district and any other caught using them. Alex wasn't sure how Tarine and the other Queens managed to keep something like this a secret for so long. These courts were far too established for Meredith to overlook them.

Yet another petitioner entered the circle, and Alex shifted his weight slightly. Several others were getting restless, too. Even so, the room remained respectfully quiet while Tarine listened to each person on the agenda for the day. And they would continue to wait until everyone had been seen.

Judging by the length of the line yet to go, Alex guessed it would be awhile before today's audience was over. Doing his best not to stare at Lilith anymore, he studied the chamber itself and let his thoughts wander over Protocol again. One part that had both intrigued and terrified him was the part about the First Circle.

Meredith and her coven darlings never breathed a word about it, and with good reason. Alex had read page upon page about the give and take dance between the First Circle and its Queen. Power balanced against power, beautiful and brilliantly choreographed. No surprise that Meredith wanted no part of anything that didn't guarantee absolute power for herself.

But whoever had written this Protocol had never meant for Queens to become tyrants. They were no different from anyone else- accountable for their actions. Alex had to wonder what sort of Blood had been alive when this Protocol was first created.

Could he ever learn the steps to this dance? Alex wasn't so sure. The kind of loyalty and trust described in the books seemed almost a requirement if he was part of a First Circle. After what Meredith and her coven had done to him, Alex couldn't believe he had any of either left in him. One day, something in him would snap and he'd go cold.

What would happen then? There was no doubt what would happen. If they were lucky, just the Queen would die. But Alex was capable of slaughtering whole courts in less than a few breaths. He'd buried plenty of Meredith's in the last six hundred years. It would be just as easy to do it again.

Rising murmurs around him shook Alex from his thoughts. The audiences were concluded for the day. The crowd was beginning to break into groups, swapping news of the day and eyeing the Queen and Lilith. He forced himself to turn to Chaeke instead of doing the same.

"So are you going to go talk to her, or not?"

He shook his head, unable to find words to answer.

"Why not?"

"It's complicated."

"She's not the reason you're…well…" Chaeke trailed off .

"The reason I'm _what?_"

"I mean, it's no secret you're uneasy around witches. And I just thought maybe it had to do with…"

Alex wasn't sure what expression he wore, but it silenced Chaeke mid-sentence. The air around them had chilled to a bone shattering cold. Wide-eyed, the barkeep stared at him as people nearby swiftly moved out of range. He could feel himself rising to the killing edge. Any minute he'd go cold and everyone in this room would die. Mother Night, he had to get out of here before that happened.

**2/Terreille**

_Oh hell's fire_. Lilith didn't know what happened, but Alex was close to unleashing all kinds of rage on some idiot. Someone had to do something to pull him away from that edge. A quick glance at Tarine's stricken expression told Lilith it would have to be her. Perfect.

So what did she have in her arsenal to stop a full scale slaughter? Honestly, not much. Unlike the rest of the males in his family, Alex hadn't spent centuries being drilled on Protocol. Even if she tried to yank that leash, Lilith doubted he'd respond to it.

Not to mention he was likely still angry with her. At best, she could direct his rage at her instead of everyone else. Lilith could at least contain it if Alex focused all of the rage in one place.

That plan- if she could call it one- would have to do. With as much steel as she could muster, Lilith sent a command to him on a private thread.

*Prince DeSade, _Attend_*

He spun around, and she saw in his eyes the Warlord Prince he'd tried to bury behind an illusion. Not only that, she saw his struggle to contain the rage. That gave her some hope to stop this. It was time to see if she'd throw water on that fire, or pour on the oil.

*You will not destroy this court, Prince*

*Lady…*

*This is not a debate. Either you leash it, or find someplace else to be. Choice is yours- what's your decision?*

The room had rapidly emptied of most of the spectators here for the audience. Most of them slipped hurriedly out the back doors in an effort to escape the danger. Only the Court remained.

*Raenel, what is going on?* Tarine sent on a distaff thread. *I've known that Warlord for several months and he's never been like this*

*Tarine, he's not a Warlord*

*I don't understand*

*Just don't move or say anything- any of you. I don't know what happened to set him off, but that's a Warlord Prince on the killing edge*

Tarine's horrified surprise skittered over their connection, but Lilith gave her credit for not losing her wits. The young Queen kept her demeanor collected, and set an example for the others. Lilith stepped away from the group, approaching Alex slowly. A handful of steps away, she stopped and waited.

And waited.

Alex was still struggling to keep from being swept away over that edge. Lilith took a gamble that humor might pull him all the way back. She said the only thing she could think of.

"Didn't I warn you already what would happen if you tried to freeze my toes?" She raised an eyebrow at him. "So am I going to need witchfire today?"

A few seconds passed as her comment registered. It was dangerous to remind him of that night- even one of its less damning moments. But it seemed to have the desired effect. Alex stared at her, incredulous, and the air around them thawed. Lilith held her breath as she waited for him to respond.

"No, Lady," he said with some difficulty. "That won't be necessary."

"Glad to hear it."

In the lingering silence, Tarine ventured a comment.

*Raenel- is it settled? Whatever this is?*

*Settled well enough to breathe a little easier, Tarine, but don't push him. I'm not sure I can talk him down off the ledge a second time*

*I hear you*

Lilith sighed heavily, and turned her attention back to Alex.

*Well, you've completely wrecked your illusion as a Warlord. It's up to you how much of all this you drop, but Tarine knows you're a Warlord Prince now so you might as well give that battle up for lost*

He didn't answer, and looked as though he was debating with himself what to do. Lilith was rather stunned when he dropped the whole illusion. Well, he still masked his darker Jewels. Better that way- since she was pretty sure Tarine would not be prepared to deal with that. Not for a while.

That still didn't help the butterfly feeling in her stomach when Lilith could no longer pretend she was talking to someone else. Oh she'd known it was Alex the second she walked into the hall. But with the disguise, Lilith had tried to lie to herself she'd really seen a Tiger-Eye Warlord from Chaillot instead. Couldn't believe that lie anymore.

Behind her, she heard a few gasps.

"Mother Night and may the Darkness be merciful," Tarine croaked.

Well, at least she had somewhere else to draw her focus. Lilith half-turned to the Queen and her First Circle, who had obviously recognized Alex already. None of them looked enthusiastic to have him here instead of the illusion they'd thought him to be.

"I suppose now is as good a time as any to offer an explanation."

"We'd heard…but everyone thought it was just a rumor. That's not really…"

Lilith gave Alex a pointed look.

*By explanation, I meant you're the one doing the talking, Prince*

*Why me?*

*Because you're the Warlord Prince who's been masquerading as a light-Jeweled Warlord in Tarine's territory for months*

By the look on his face, Alex almost said something in reply, but chose to hold it back. Since curiosity usually killed the cat, Lilith didn't press him for whatever it was.

"Lady Tarine," Alex began. "It's come to my attention that I might have been…remiss…in not revealing who I was when I first arrived in your territory."

"A warning might have been helpful to prevent something like today from happening, Prince DeSade," Tarine replied.

Unlikely. It would only have made the court more prepared to deal with it. Lilith applauded Tarine's tactful answer, and waited to see how Alex would reply.

"I suppose I'll make a long story short, Lady. I wanted to stay in your district, but wasn't sure that I would be welcomed if not for the illusion."

"Not to mention that if no one knew who you were, no one could report your whereabouts to Meredith."

Well, the veneer of tact hadn't lasted long. Alex bristled at Tarine's implication. Lilith decided maybe she ought to step in before she got him too riled. *Tarine, have you really thought about what you're saying?*

*I've heard about him. I don't completely trust his motives for not wanting anyone to know he was here*

*No. You've heard what Meredith and her coven bitches want you to hear about him*

Tarine flinched at the ice in those words. Lilith hadn't meant for them to come out so harsh, but she couldn't help feeling defensive about the unjust impression everyone had of Alex. Even here in a healthy community, the rumors fed by Meredith would color the way they saw him. It wasn't right.

*What do you know of him, then, Raenel?*

Mother Night. That was a loaded question. It definitely wouldn't do any good telling the young Queen just how well she knew Alex. That would start a whole different kind of rumor that Lilith couldn't afford. Alex wouldn't appreciate it, either. So she side-stepped the question just a teeny bit.

*It's true- the Prince has executed witches. Even tortured them. Beyond any details that you'd ever want to hear, in some cases. But I've never known one of those witches not to have deserved it*

*But how can you be sure that…*

*Tarine, do you trust my judgment?*

*Yes*

*Then I ask you to trust me that I promise he would never hurt someone who was innocent. Think about what you know of the Warlord he has been so far* she pushed insistently. *Has that man hurt anyone?*

Tarine paused a moment and relented.

*No, he hasn't*

*The caste may different now, but the man underneath is the same*

*You must know him very well to be so certain*

*If it makes you feel any better, you may hold me personally responsible for him while he's here*

A very long pause followed.

*That didn't really answer my question*

*I think we both know I'm not going to answer*

*Yeah, I thought as much. Okay, I'll trust your instincts about him for now. But if he does break that trust, I will hold you to your promise*

*Understood*

That settled, Lilith finally realized how long she and Tarine had been talking. Long enough that the First Circle and Alex were all staring at them expectantly. Neither Steward or Master of the Guard felt equal to the task of asking them what it was about. Alex, though, had no trouble.

"Will the rest of us be included in the discussion, or will you be keeping us in suspense?"

Lilith nearly rolled her eyes in annoyance at his tone.

*Warlord Princes* she sent over to Tarine. *They are a whole different breed of male to deal with*

*And just how should I deal with him?*

*How you would any Warlord Prince whose Jewels outrank yours. You've read enough Protocol to know that much*

Tarine let out a breath in a huff. It was tempting to tell her exactly what to do in this situation, but if she was going to be Territory Queen someday, she had to learn to do this on her own. Hayll would recover one day, and with that recovery would come Warlord Princes. A good Queen learned how to deal with them.

"Our apologies, Prince. Lady Raenel was reminding me of my manners. I confess, we're all just a little out of step having suddenly found a Warlord Prince in place of a Warlord."

"I can leave, Lady, if I've worn out my welcome in your district."

With a quick glance at Lilith, Tarine shook her head emphatically.

"Oh no- I'm not trying to kick you out. The next districts over belong to pet Queens of Meredith, and both of them would pounce on the opportunity to hand you back over to her."

"They could try," Alex replied darkly. "The question is, now that you know I'm here- would someone here try to do the same?"

"We have no love for Meredith or her regime, Prince. I wouldn't turn anyone or anything over to her."

From what Lilith could see, he wasn't entirely convinced. Alex raised an eyebrow and slipped his hands in his trouser pockets. Oh that was not a good sign at all, and Lilith prayed to the Darkness that he'd be reasonable. When he spoke, the words were calmly delivered. But she knew Alex was far from calm.

"That is a different tune than what you were singing a few minutes ago, Lady Tarine."

Nope, not going to be reasonable. It seemed Tarine wasn't the only one who needed to be reminded of manners. She aimed a private thread at Alex.

*Let it go, Prince*

*No I won't*

Lilith gritted her teeth at his natural stubbornness, determined to put an end to all this right now.

*You scared the living hell out of her. Not everyone is up to the challenge of a Warlord Prince like you on the killing edge*

*I guess I forgot what it was like to be what I am*

Lilith winced inwardly. She hadn't quite meant to cut that wound any deeper than it already was, but it was a little late to take it back now. Just add it to the tally of mistakes she'd made with him so far. She wasn't sure who was going to hold her accountable for the scars she'd given him- 'Nelle or his father. Either way, she wasn't looking forward to the reckoning.

* You can't entirely blame her for questioning your motives. All she's ever heard is what Meredith chooses to say about you. Give her the chance to understand*

Reluctantly, Alex turned over her words and seemed to accept them. He nodded briefly.

"Perhaps we start over, Lady," he said finally. "It seems that's the only direction to go from here."

**3/Terreille**

Tarine considered Prince DeSade's words. They offered both of them a way to save face. Given the alternatives, it was an offer she couldn't afford to refuse.

She wondered what Raenel had said to him to bring it about. Tarine had absolutely no doubt that she wasn't the only one having side conversations with the Lady. But what in the hell could Raenel have said to have brought such a dangerous Warlord Prince to heel so quickly?

How did she find the courage to say anything to him in the first place?

Raenel had been right that she'd heard plenty of rumors about Prince Alexander DeSade. He'd lain waste to dozens- maybe even hundreds- of courts held by Meredith's coven. While she hadn't heard the details, what little she did hear painted the picture of a violent and ruthlessly cruel man. Honestly, a Prince she really didn't want in her district.

But she'd never been let down by Raenel's judgment in the past. So she'd try to look past what she'd heard to see what her friend saw in him. After all, she'd had a point that as Warlord Vrede, he hadn't been violent or cruel. She hoped for the sake of the people she ruled that he wouldn't betray Raenel's trust.

And as she glanced quickly over the pair of them, Tarine hoped so for her friend's sake as well. Raenel had never shown much interest in Blood males of any caste or Rank, but maybe the Prince had managed to seduce his way into her good graces. Even the strongest of wills could be bent under that golden gaze. Tarine admitted that she wasn't just weak-kneed in fear when he looked her way.

Tarine gathered those thoughts and set them aside for another time. She had to deal with the now.

"I agree, Prince."

Everyone just stood around for a few minutes, not quite sure what to do. Finally, Lord Braetyn spoke up beside her.

"Lady- are we providing a guest suite in the Queen's Residence for Prince DeSade?"

"Oh…I guess I hadn't thought about that."

"I have a suite at the Kaerle Inn," Prince DeSade answered. "It's no trouble to stay there."

"No trouble if you were still a Tiger-Eye Warlord," Lord Braetyn pointed out tactfully. "A Red-Jeweled Warlord Prince might stir things up a little more than you'd like."

Resignation flashed across his face. "Yeah, I guess so."

"There are a number of empty suites here that might give you more privacy than an inn would, Prince. Lady Raenel is staying at the Queen's Residence while she's here for that reason."

She was trying to be welcoming like Raenel had asked, so Tarine was baffled by the glaring looks her friend shot at her.

*What'd I do?*

*Nothing*

*Well, it must have been _something_. You look ready to roast me with witchfire*

*It's my own fault. I should have realized that he'd have to stay here now*

*You don't want him here in the Queen's Residence? Should I tell him to stay where he is?*

*No, he can't stay there now*

Tarine was thoroughly confused.

*Raenel, what's wrong?*

*It's nothing. Ignore me*

Yep, definitely something strange going on here. She'd have to keep an eye on both of them while Raenel was here. Her instincts told her that it had something to do with why her friend wouldn't answer her earlier questions.

*Hmm…I don't think I can do that*

*Tarine, I mean it*

Her reply was cut short by her Steward.

"So, a suite in the guest wing?" Braetyn asked.

"Prince?"

"It's probably for the best," he agreed with a shrug.

"Lord Braetyn, can you see to the arrangements? I'd like to speak with Lady Raenel for awhile."

"As you will, Lady."

She had to give her Steward credit for stepping forward to Prince DeSade. He only wore Rose as his Rank Jewel, and wouldn't stand a chance against the Red. But he did his best to ignore that unpleasant reality, and followed Protocol to the letter. Tarine was proud that her First Circle had remembered what Raenel had taught them.

The Prince gave her friend one last look before he followed Lord Braetyn out of the audience room. She wasn't quite sure what the look meant. That was one thing she meant to find out when she and Raenel started talking. Tarine caught Lord Howe's attention.

*Why don't you take a guard detail and find out just how freaked out everyone is over what happened this morning?*

*A good idea, I think. I'll let you know what we find later this afternoon*

*Good deal. Thanks, Howe*

With his assignment in place, her Master of the Guard left the room as well. That left just Tarine alone with Raenel.

"Well, you've cleared everyone out, Tarine. Obviously there's something on your mind you'd like to discuss."

"Yup, sure is."

Raenel sighed.

"Where do you want to start first?"

Tarine thought about what bothered her most.

"You could tell what he really was when we walked in the room, couldn't you? Even before the Prince lost his temper."

"Yes, I knew."

"And you didn't think to warn any of us."

"I didn't have the right to betray what he wanted to keep hidden. If that was the life he wanted, it wouldn't have been my place to tear it away from him." She paused. "He's already had so much taken from him."

Damn. All the bluster went out of Tarine's anger, and she somewhat resented Raenel for stealing away her right to be mad. But the sadness she felt from her friend might prove a more interesting subject.

"Like what?"

"He's had to live in Meredith's court for six hundred years, Tarine. What can you imagine she and every other bitch in that Hall took out of him?"

The knife edge in Raenel's voice sounded a lot like guilt, but Tarine convinced herself that she was mistaken. At the mention of Meredith, she had a sudden uncomfortable thought.

"And you're sure that Meredith still doesn't have some kind of hold over him?"

"You mean like a Ring of Obedience?"

"Um…yeah…that."

Raenel shook her head. "Not anymore."

"How is that even possible? I mean, you said yourself that Meredith's had him chained to her for six hundred years. How does one day he just slip _that_ leash?"

"Well…" Raenel hedged as her eyes slid away.

"You. It was you."

"It's finally done, Tarine. All of those damned Rings are destroyed. His was the last. The absolute last."

Tarine assessed her friend for some time. Sure she knew that Raenel had vowed to destroy every Ring of Obedience in Hayll, but it never really hit her what that meant. Or who would be set free. Raenel would have had to have stolen into Meredith's Hall, gotten close enough to the Prince to…now there was a question. Just how did one get one of those off, anyway?

"Out of curiosity…"

"Nope. Don't even finish the question because I'm not going to answer it."

"I was just curious," Tarine protested innocently.

"Remain curious. All you need to know is that I did what I'd promised to do."

Well, she wasn't going to get Raenel to answer anything more on that topic. At least not today. Tarine gave up and picked her next battle.

"So what in the hell was a Red Jeweled Warlord Prince doing pretending to be a Tiger-Eye Warlord? He could have gone anywhere once he slipped out of Meredith's control. Could have gone to Dhemlan where he could live a more normal life."

"Tarine, the Prince has never left Draega, much less Hayll. He's never been taught Protocol like any of you. What do you think would happen if he had gone to a place like Dhemlan?"

That sounded like a reasonable answer, but Tarine felt there was something off about it.

"Okay, so he probably wouldn't have felt comfortable leaving the Territory…but why here, and why the disguise?"

"I wish I could say that I understood everything, but darling, the Prince is still male," Raenel drawled. "And males do bizarre things sometimes that just have no logical answer."

An unladylike giggle threatened to overwhelm her, and Tarine tried to hold it back. But the longer the words hung between them and the look on Raenel's face, the harder it was. In the end, she succumbed to them. And when the fit was over, she leaned close to her friend.

"You know, I've heard Braetyn and Howe both mutter to themselves that our gender is the one that makes no sense. They think I didn't hear it."

"Tarine, I'm almost certain they damn well made sure you overheard it," Raenel said with a quiet laugh.

"Then why were they whispering?"

"To make sure you were listening."

Raenel was right. Males were incredibly complicated creatures that made no sense. She shook her head one last time at the absurdity of it all before turning back to the subject of the Prince.

"So what are we going to do about Prince DeSade?"

"You're going to practice dealing with a dark-Jeweled Warlord Prince and keep a tight leash on all of the witches in residence. Absolutely no one is to flirt with him or try their luck at getting him into bed."

Raenel leveled a very stern look at her. "That includes you, Tarine."

"Why would you think…"

"I'm not saying you were going to, but I wanted to make it very clear that it is not an option."

"I can talk to the staff and the few witches of the court who live here, but I can't promise that they will listen. The Prince is…well hell, he's the most beautiful man I've ever seen in my life, Raenel. Surely you can recognize that fact."

"The fact I do recognize is that anyone who makes an invitation to the Prince will die. Horribly. And I can't guarantee that I could do anything to stop it. Not even if I'm in the room to see it happen."

"But they would just be asking…"

She didn't even finish her sentence before Raenel interrupted her. The look in her eyes was intense.

"They will die, Tarine. The bitches in Meredith's Hall never 'invited' him to do anything. They _took_ what they wanted. For the Prince, it's a killing field, and any witch daring to make an invitation is asking to meet him on it."

"I see," Tarine whispered.

"So when you're talking to the witches, relay that message. Maybe it will give them incentive to listen."

"And you're sure it's safe to have him here?"

"Outside of what we just discussed, yes."

Tarine fiddled with the sleeve of her gown, wishing that she could find some way not to have Prince DeSade in her district. Or if that wasn't possible, that she hadn't found out he was anything other than Vrede, the Tiger-Eye Warlord. They didn't have any Warlord Princes in this district. She'd rather not have started practicing with one like him.

Oh well. If Raenel thought she could do this, she supposed the least she could do was try. Meanwhile, she was curious about what her friend would be doing about the Prince. She'd been very specific a minute ago.

"And while I'm practicing- what are you going to do?"

Raenel thought for a minute or two. A troubled look passed over her face, and then it was gone.

"Nothing unless he asks me."

"Asks you what, exactly?"

"I've offered to take him home to his family if he wants to go. When I last saw him, that wasn't the path he wanted to pursue." She sighed. "But if he changes his mind while I'm here over the next few days, I'll take him with me when I leave."

Wasn't that interesting? Raenel hadn't mentioned that bit of information when they were talking a moment ago about the Prince's options. Tarine wondered why. If she had a choice, she'd hope that he did decide to go with her. A few days' practice was more than enough for now. She really didn't want to deal with him when Raenel wasn't around to back her up.

"Do you think he'll go?"

"I don't know."

And that was all Raenel was going to say about it, from the look of things. Tarine relinquished the subject.

"Well, I suppose we'll find out, won't we?"

"Yes, we'll find out."


	17. Chapter 16: A View from Dhemlan

**1/Terreille**

The journey to Dhemlan seemed like a lifetime ago to Bethaeny. She reflected once more on the day they left Draega. Not surprisingly, Fawne's warning had come only minutes before the summons to the audience hall. She and Ettia had shown up only to find that the whole coven was there to hear Meredith's announcement. Not to mention her epiphany over the identity of the witch the Prince had executed.

And then she'd announced her brilliant plan to send them to Dhemlan to spy on their so-called enemies. It made for a good story, and maybe a few months ago she would have swallowed it just like some of the others. Not anymore. She'd done a lot of thinking since Prince DeSade disappeared, and came to the realization she wasn't as stupid as everyone told her she was.

Bethaeny saw Meredith's ploy for what it was- a tactical move to keep the coven from breaking apart. What better way to unite warring factions than to give them a common enemy to rally against? In truth, that's the only way Meredith had ever ruled Hayll.

That thought had come to her halfway through the speech. When they'd had the Prince and the other Warlords in the Hall, _they'd_ been the enemy. Blame them for everything that had gone wrong in the Territory. Punish them for everything that was wrong now.

So long as Meredith could point to Blood males, she hadn't needed to focus her attention anywhere else. Now that Meredith had lost control of them, suddenly it was all the fault of Dhemlan spies. She'd found another scapegoat for what kept Hayll from rising to the wealth and power they dreamed of.

The witches outside their underground network had actually believed her, too. They all applauded the idea of sending spies into Dhemlan for reconnaissance. More than a few had been eager to strike back at the Territory that dared to interfere with Hayll. Nevermind that there wasn't really any _proof_ that Hayll had been invaded by the Dhemlans. That didn't matter. And Meredith would use their enthusiasm to re-establish her claim in Draega.

Meaning if she and Ettia didn't do something fast, they'd lose the opportunity to strike. By the time they got back to Hayll, it might already be too late. Bethaeny couldn't help feeling frustrated that Meredith might have found a way to thwart their efforts. Already she dreaded going back, afraid of what she'd find.

She turned to Ettia, who was sitting at the window of their rented suite.

"How long do we have to stay here?"

"It's only been three days, Bethaeny," her cousin said, exasperated. "We can't go back this early or they'll know we didn't really do anything."

"I know that. I was just wondering how much longer you thought we should wait."

Ettia stared out the window, watching people passing on the street. For the past three days, that's all she'd really done. Neither of them had left the room since they'd paid for it. Inactivity and boredom was driving Bethaeny more than a little crazy.

"Another three, maybe four. Then we can go back."

"Are we just going to sit in here until then?"

"And what would you rather do instead?"

"We could go find out what Dhemlan is really like."

Her cousin turned around to stare at her incredulously.

"Are you mad? We almost didn't make it to the inn that first day. This entire Territory is crawling with Warlords and Princes- and a lot of them wear Jewels darker than either of ours. Anything could get us killed."

"It just seems like such a waste of an opportunity," Bethaeny complained.

"What you call opportunity, I call a death sentence."

"Fine," she said with a huff. "You can stay shut up in here all you want for the next few days. But I just can't do it. I'm going to find out what Meredith _hasn't_ been telling us about Dhemlan."

"I'm telling you that it's suicide. But obviously you're not going to listen to me," Ettia said in that tone she liked to use. Bethaeny liked to think of it as her 'I know better than you' voice.

"If you think you know best, go ahead and go. Try not to get yourself killed."

Bethaeny crossed the room, only looking back after she'd pulled the door open. Ettia looked positively annoyed with her. Good. She wasn't all that happy with her cousin right now, either.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Lady Ettia."

Out on the street, Bethaeny felt her mood lighten a little. Unlike Ettia, she hadn't found Dhemlan all that frightening. None of the other witches they'd seen were nervous about the Jeweled males roaming the city. She'd even seen landens in the crowded streets. They'd kept a respectful distance, but even they hadn't been afraid.

She wanted to find out why. Maybe if she figured out what was so different about this place she'd be able to take those ideas back to Hayll with her. Because she knew now that she wanted to live in a place like this. It spoke to her in a way that Meredith's court never had.

Eager to discover what made her feel that way, Bethaeny started walking. She had no idea where to go or what she was looking for, but anything had to be better than standing around here. That and she may well get run over if she hung around for very long. Despite how early in the morning it was, people were everywhere.

For a while, the crowd carried her along. Around her, witches and Warlords chatted with one another. Some talked of personal things- a birth of a child or an upcoming Offering ceremony. Others were debating literature or reviewing a performance they'd seen recently. Bethaeny tried not to let her jaw hang open as she eavesdropped.

But it was so hard not to be stunned. She'd heard whispered hints from Fawne and the others that the lower castes outside the court were a little less…fractured between the genders. Bethaeny had found it hard to believe, having never seen it herself. Until now.

She struggled to understand the nuances of how everyone interacted with one another. Back in Hayll, they'd all studied Protocol. She memorized every rule about how to treat this caste and that rank. None of what she learned seemed to fit with what she was seeing here.

After an hour of walking, Bethaeny was feeling a little overwhelmed. She noticed a small park that appeared open to the public, and veered off towards it in hopes of some quiet. A few other witches and Warlords were gathered around some benches on the other side of the garden. She decided not to join them, and chose an isolated bench under a large tree.

The garden with all its flowers and well-tended beds was a stark contrast to the last garden she'd been in. A shudder ran through her as she remembered the dead grass and weeds choking out a few pathetic bulbs that tried to grow. It was fitting that the gardens of Draega were dead. Much like the rest of the city, Bethaeny thought dismally.

"Lady, are you well?"

She looked up, startled by the unexpected male voice so close to her. A Green-Jeweled Warlord stood only a few feet away. She hadn't even heard him approach, but he looked genuinely concerned. Bethaeny swallowed the instinct to cringe away in fear.

"I…um…yeah, no. I guess I'm okay."

Concern changed to bemusement.

"You don't seem so sure, Lady."

"I just had to take a break from all the people," Bethaeny admitted once she could stop stuttering like an idiot. "I'm not used to crowds like this."

"Your first trip into a large city," he asked.

"You could say that. I thought I lived in a city, but it's not like this at all."

For a moment, he said nothing. And then he shrugged at her.

"No, I imagine it's not. I've heard that Draega is dead these days."

Her heart jumped up in her throat at the mention of Draega. He knew where she came from. Mother Night, what should she do now? Escape was her first thought. But then he would alert everyone else in range. Ettia was right- she never should have left the inn.

The Warlord must have noticed her panic, and held up his hands.

"Relax, Lady. I didn't mean to scare you."

"W-what did you mean, then?"

After a quick glance around the park, he gestured to the empty space on the bench beside her.

"Do you mind if I sit, Lady?"

"Um…no?"

He sighed, but sat anyway. Bethaeny had never been this close to a Blood male who outranked her and didn't wear a Ring. It was terrifying and exciting at the same time. She clasped her hands together between her knees to keep them from shaking.

"I understand why you might be afraid," he said. "A lot of witches and Warlords who come here from Hayll are the same way. But you're safe here."

Bethaeny wasn't quite convinced of that yet, but she managed to talk around the lump in her throat.

"How did you know where I was from?"

"Your accent, for one. But mostly, it's the way you were looking around. You looked…lost."

"You were following me?"

"It's my job."

Okay, that raised an alarm. Blood pounded in her ears as she considered what kind of job a Warlord might have where he followed witches around. She leapt off the bench and started to back away.

"I…I think I should go."

"No, you don't understand," he insisted, getting up as well. He took a step towards her. "Please, sit down."

Bethaeny shook her head.

"No, thanks."

"I swear you're not in any danger if you just let me explain."

The group of witches and Warlords on the other side of the garden were looking at them now. Too much attention. This outing might be her last if she didn't get away now. Bethaeny panicked, and whirled around to make a run for it. She smacked head-first into two other Warlords who'd been standing behind her.

"What'd you do to her, Shaede? She looks half scared out of her wits."

One of them was looking over her shoulder at the Prince who'd first approached her. His Jewels were Sapphire. The other one with him wore the Purple Dusk. Mother Night, she was going to die here. She had absolutely no chance against these men.

"I was just trying to explain what we do and she flipped out."

"I've told you before that you have to be more careful with these witches," the Sapphire Jeweled Prince said, exasperated. He gestured to Bethaeny with a wave of his hand.

"You have no idea what they've lived through in Hayll. You can't treat them like witches from Dhemlan."

Fear had her rooted to the spot. Even though she knew she was probably dead, Bethaeny couldn't move a single step. And then the Prince redirected his focus to her.

"Lady, I apologize for Lord Shaede's behavior. He's still in training and hasn't quite got a handle on how to talk to witches from Hayll yet."

"O-okay."

"I'm Lord Willem, Second Circle in Queen Claudia's court here in Amdarh. My unit is in charge of making the transition easier for refugees from Hayll. Lord Shaede is one of my junior members."

Slowly, the words penetrated the mist of panic and Bethaeny was able to let go of the breath she'd been holding. He certainly _sounded _reasonable. Maybe they weren't here to hurt her after all.

"I don't understand. What do you mean by 'transition'?"

"It's not easy to come to a new Territory and learn a whole new life," he answered. "The Queen set up a group of witches and Warlords in her court who could provide guidance needed to give you the best chance possible."

"But why?"

"Because she's not Meredith," he said without a trace of hesitation. "And takes responsibility for the well-being of all people in her Territory. Not just a few chosen favorites."

Lord Willem's description of Meredith was bitingly accurate. But was he just telling her what she wanted to hear? It would be an easy way to get a witch to lower her guard for…whatever they planned to do to her. Her thoughts must have been obvious.

"I see that you're wary of our intentions, and that's okay. Here's the address of a place where witches and Warlords like you meet in the city," he said, handing her a card. "It's a very public place- you'll see for yourself if you go. If you want to find out more about what we do, I'd recommend that you start there."

He stepped back and signaled to the other two Warlords, leaving Bethaeny holding the card. Then he gave her a short bow.

"Lady, we leave you now, but I hope that we'll see you again."

All three of them left. Bethaeny stared at the gate out to the street for several minutes afterwards, half-expecting one of them to return. But when she saw no sign of them at all, she had to believe that Lord Willem meant what he said. She stared at the card he'd given her.

Although she didn't quite trust their intentions, she could check this place out. If it seemed at all like a trap, she would turn away and go back to the inn to wait this out with Ettia. But if it wasn't a trap, maybe this was the break she was looking for to understand this place. It was worth a try. Bethaeny squared her shoulders and left the garden to find out.

**2/Terreille**

Ettia stared out the window at the street and railed at Bethaeny for being stupid. What possessed her to want to explore the city? Three hours and no sign of her.

"Dammit, she's probably gotten herself in trouble or worse," she muttered to herself.

When they'd first left Draega, Ettia had almost looked forward to coming here as an adventure. That excitement fled very quickly after they arrived in Dhemlan. Not trusting the public landing webs in Amdarh, they'd dropped from the Winds several miles from Dhemlan's capital.

On the way into the city, they'd been approached several times by other travelers on the road. So they said. Could have been rogues looking for the chance to take advantage of two witches alone. Ettia believed that more.

For example, a Warlord wearing Purple Dusk had been vociferous in his offer to provide them with a ride to Amdarh in his coach. What could it have mattered to him whether they had to walk or not? Long day or no, there was no way in hell she was going to get into anything with anyone in this Territory.

Bethaeny would have. Just like she went out there today alone. Her cousin was still so damn naïve sometimes. She was convinced that Dhemlan was some utopia they should emulate back in Hayll. It totally escaped her that they'd only been here a few days and knew _nothing_ about the Blood in Amdarh. It could be as bad- if not worse- than what they'd left behind in Draega.

From what she'd seen, there was nothing here she wanted to bring back to Hayll. The Dhemlans had taken things a step too far. Blood males seemed to wander wherever they felt like it and did whatever they wanted. Ettia had observed several groups out on the street- no witch in sight to keep them in line. And the ones who were with witches seemed to be the ones in charge instead of the other way around.

Absolutely not what Ettia wanted to see happen in her Territory. If Bethaeny did manage to come back alive today, she better not want it, either. But there was nothing to do about that but wait until her cousin came back. Or she heard that she was dead. Ettia sighed.

The minutes turned into hours, and eventually, the sun set over the city streets outside. Ettia swung between fits of annoyance that she hadn't heard anything from Bethaeny all day to fear that something had happened to her. Her cousin had half their funds, and she only had enough to pay for another night here at the inn without those funds. What would she do, then?

Those thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Bethaeny whisked inside and closed it behind her. Before Ettia could rip her apart with a blistering lecture, her cousin rushed over.

"Oh Ettia, I wish you'd come with me today! You'd never believe the things I saw out there in the city."

"If it's anything like what I saw from here, I'd say I didn't miss much," Ettia replied sharply.

"You can't tell anything from inside a window. You really can't. This place is what we're looking for."

A sinking feeling grew in the pit of Ettia's stomach. It was just as she'd feared, or worse. Bethaeny had fallen prey to whatever snare the Blood males here had set out for witches. And she'd try to take their ideas back to Hayll with her if Ettia didn't do something to stop her.

"No, cousin, it's not."

"How can you say that? You haven't even talked to anyone since we got here."

"Sometimes it takes an objective point of view to see what might be hidden beneath a phony smile and fast talk, Bethaeny. Meredith and Valinna talked a good game when they first rebuilt Hayll, you know."

Her cousin threw her a defiant look and cleared off a space on the table. She called in a pile of things- books, mostly- but overall an assortment of oddities. Was Bethaeny mad to purchase all of this stuff with what little marks they'd brought with them?

"What in the hell is all this? And how in the hell did you pay for it?"

"Most were gifts, so relax. I didn't spend much of anything."

"Gifts? From who?"

"Witches and Warlords like us, Ettia."

"What do you mean 'like us'?"

"I mean Hayllians who've come to live here in Dhemlan after escaping Draega," Bethaeny answered while picking through the pile. "There's a whole community of refugees living in Amdarh under Queen Claudia's protection."

Ettia held up her hand to stop her cousin from going on with her explanation. "Wait, wait just a second. None of that makes any sense."

"What's there not to make sense? Hayllians weren't happy living under Meredith so they came here and the Queen decided to help them find the life they wanted instead."

"See, that. There's no reason why Lady Claudette or whatever her name is would care whether or not Hayllians were happy in Dhemlan."

"It's Lady Claudia, and she does care, Ettia. That's what Queens are supposed to do. Care for the people they rule. It only seems bizarre to us because we've never seen it before."

That sinking mushroomed into a heavy stone in her stomach. Someone had gotten to her cousin.

"And just who was feeding you all of this? Some 'helpful' Warlord or Prince I'll bet."

"There were Warlords and Princes there, but it wasn't just them, cousin. The community is fairly balanced between the genders. They even have a few Queens who serve in Lady Claudia's Eighth Circle."

"Whatever that means."

"It means something a whole lot different than what it means in Draega," Bethaeny tossed back at her. "Why are you being this way?"

"I'm just trying to look out for what's best for us."

"And you've already decided this isn't it."

"Why are you so sure that it is?"

Her cousin rummaged around in the pile again, and pulled out one of the books. She thrust it into Ettia's hands and crossed her arms.

"Read it. Just the first page."

Reluctantly, Ettia opened the book. The room was getting dark, and she created a ball of witchfire. As she scanned the first few paragraphs, it took her a few minutes to realize what she was reading.

"This is a book on Protocol."

"Yes, it is."

Ettia kept reading a little more, not quite sure what to make of the words on the page. Bethaeny continued to wait as she turned to the next and even the one after that.

"It's not anything close to the Protocol books we have in Hayll, is it," her cousin said.

"I have to agree."

"When I was talking with several of the witches in the Hayllian community and they gave me a whole set of Protocol books they use in Dhemlan. Actually, they use those in just about every Territory outside of Hayll."

Ettia continued to skim the pages as she listened to Bethaeny with half an ear. She didn't want to believe what she was reading. If she did, she'd have to admit that what she'd concluded about the Dhemlans was wrong. The Protocol she was reading now hinted at the kind of society reinforced by a structure of castes and ranks, but without the oppressive feel of Draega.

A thought itched at her. It seemed too…perfect…to work in reality. All well and good to write in these checks and balances of power, but in Ettia's experience, no one ever lived entirely by the rules. Someone always found a way to slide around them and take advantage of someone else. What then?

"Well?" Bethaeny prodded. "What do you think?"

"It makes for a nice story, but I have a hard time believing that everyone abides by it."

"I swear, Ettia, they do. I saw people doing it."

"What people?"

"Well, the Hayllian community for one. But I saw the Dhemlans following those Protocols, too."

"And that reminds me- how did you end up finding a community of Hayllians in a city this size in the first place?"

Bethaeny mumbled something under her breath.

"What?"

"You won't like the answer."

"Well you damn well better tell me, anyway."

"Fine," Bethaeny said with a sigh. "I was exploring the city and got a little overwhelmed by all the people. So I found a garden to take a breather. And that's when I met this Warlord and Prince."

She knew it. Just knew it. Of course it came back to some Blood male. Ettia suppressed her desire to shout at her cousin, and waited for her to continue. After a sideways look, she went on with the story.

"They all serve in Lady Claudia's Court, and recognized that I was from Hayll. No lie- I kinda panicked that I'd been discovered. But all they did was give me a card and told me I might find what I was looking for if I went to see the address on the card. It turned out to be this community of Hayllians."

"Are you finished?"

Bethaeny nodded.

"Did you think even for one moment that they could have been sending you into a trap?"

"Of course I did," she said, making a face. "I'm not stupid."

"But you went, anyway."

"Yeah, I went."

"And by some miracle, this place they sent you to turns out to be some utopia for Hayllian runaways, where everyone lives by this-" Ettia held up the book, "-and leads a happy life in Amdarh. Have I got it right?"

"I know what you're thinking, cousin, and you're wrong."

"Am I? What better way to lure in an unsuspecting witch than to send her to some puppet community that tempts her with a dream life?"

"It's not a fantasy. It's a real place."

"Oh I bet it's quite real. Sacrifice their control over a tiny portion of the city so they can keep the rest of it. I'll be that this Lady Claudette doesn't even exist."

"Lady Claudia."

Ettia shrugged. "Whatever."

"Come with me tomorrow," Bethaeny challenged. "Just for an hour at least. You'll see that it's all true."

"I'm sorry, cousin, but I have no desire to end up caught in this trap like you are."

"Mother Night, all I'm asking is for you to see it."

"No. And you're not going back either. I promise you that."

Horror filled Bethaeny's eyes as she realized what Ettia was saying.

"No, you can't."

"I mean it. Today just proved me right that going out into the city is too dangerous- especially for you. So tomorrow and the next day, we're both staying right here. End of discussion."

"But…"

"I said no."

Bethaeny lowered her eyes to the floor, a mix of disappointment and anger playing over her features. Ettia didn't care if her cousin was happy about the decision, so long as she understood that she was going to obey it. Finally, she raised her eyes again and shook her head.

"You're making a mistake, Ettia."

"You'll thank me when we get back to Hayll."

"No, I won't."

Her cousin said nothing more, and stalked over to her room. Bethaeny paused once to stare at her, and then turned away. The door closed behind her, leaving Ettia in accusing silence.

"Yes, we'll find out."


	18. Chapter 17: Decisions and Choices

**1/Terreille**

Word had spread quickly about what had happened in the audience hall. Everyone in the district knew who had been living among them. And now, people who had talked to him a few days ago as Warlord Vrede avoided eye contact with Prince DeSade. If anyone did meet his gaze, they looked at him in fear. It stung more than Alex cared to admit, and certainly more than he'd expected.

The past few days reminded Alex of the lie he'd been living. Easy to have believed it…until they saw beneath the mask. Definitely for the best that Tarine had insisted he stay at the Queen's Residence. Although at times, it wasn't much better here. The Queen's Steward, Lord Braetyn had been helpful enough with getting a suite in the new wing, but it was obvious the man wasn't at all comfortable around him.

As for the ladies of the Court, Alex wasn't quite so dismayed that they kept their distance. The only one he spoke to was Tarine, and she was very guarded around him. The others all found some reason not to be around if Alex was nearby. Thank the Darkness. He hadn't been this close to a Court since leaving Meredith's hall. If anyone would have corned him, his rage in the audience hall would have paled in comparison.

That had all been two days ago, and since then, he'd not been able to work up the courage to talk to Lilith. At least not privately. They occasionally spoke during formal dinner conversations. During the day, he found excuses not to seek her out. Alex was even pathetically grateful when he knew that Lilith was busy with Tarine.

She wasn't busy now. Alex knew for a fact that she was just relaxing in the residential gardens. So if he was going to talk to her, this would be the time for it. He let out a breath and headed outside. Lilith was reading on a bench, but Alex expected that she sensed him coming. As he drew nearer, she turned a page.

"Good afternoon, Prince," Lilith said without ever looking up. "Come to see the work Tarine and her coven have put into the gardens this spring?"

Alex looked around, and admitted that they were beautiful. He'd never seen anything like them in the parts of Draega Meredith had sent him. It was mid-summer, and each bed was a fantastic array of color and blooms. Most of the flowers he'd never seen outside of book illustrations. He shook his head, though. Focus.

"They're very nice. But that's not why I'm here."

"I see."

_Get this out before you lose your nerve_, he told himself. If they didn't talk about it now, he very well might.

"Lilith, about what happened-"

Her head snapped up from the book, piercing him with a chilling stare.

"We're not discussing that, Prince."

The air around them cooled to match the ice in her tone. Daunted, Alex hesitated before he tried again.

"I'd really like to explain-"

"There's nothing to explain," Lilith cut in for the second time. "Let's not make it any worse by dwelling on it. So unless there is anything else you're here to discuss, this conversation is over."

The steel in Lilith's voice confirmed any doubts he might have had about how she felt. She wasn't just upset over what happened- that was rage he'd heard. And since he wasn't sure just what she might unleash if he pressed her any further, Alex gave up.

For today. One day he swore he was going to get through what he needed to say to her. But right now, he might as well get to the other thing he wanted to talk about.

"Actually, there is."

"And that is?"

"I'd like to go home. To my family," he added. "That is, if you're still willing to take me to them."

Lilith thought quietly for a minute or two. She closed the book and set it on the bench beside her. Thank the Darkness, the air around them thawed again. Of course, that didn't mean that she was going to give him the answer he wanted. But Alex held out hope, anyway.

"I can do that. If that's what you want."

"I don't know what I'll find there, but I think it's time I went."

"Well, it's going to be an adventure for everyone, that's for certain," Lilith replied. She tilted her head to the side. "I suppose I ought to go find Tarine and tell her that we're headed out."

"Now?"

"You've got something else keeping you here, Prince?"

"No, I'm just surprised that you're so quick to leave."

Lilith sighed, running fingers through her hair as she stood. She vanished the book and skirted around him.

"In truth, I've been done with what I came here to do since yesterday. Tarine doesn't need me as much as the others do, so I don't linger more than a few days."

"Then why…?"

"To find out whether you were staying here in Tarine's district or if you'd changed your mind, Prince," she said with a shrug. "I figured I'd give it a few days before I announced I was leaving and see what came of it."

Alex was stunned. More than stunned. It took him a few minutes to find his voice.

"You were waiting for me?"

"Well, waiting for a decision from you, in any case."

"I'm surprised you did," he admitted.

"You shouldn't be, Prince. When I make a promise, I always keep it."

She kept walking towards the door into the Queen's Residence, leaving Alex with no choice but to follow her if he wanted to continue the discussion. He hurried to catch up to her.

"Fair enough, but you have to admit that this might be a special circumstance, Lilith."

Lilith flashed a look at him over her shoulder. "I thought I said we weren't talking about that."

"I wasn't trying to."

"Good. Because two days is a long time, and I don't want to keep repeating myself during the journey. So we'd best get that settled now."

Alex said nothing, but wanted to mutter something insolent under his breath. Two days was going to feel like an eternity if she was like this the whole time. Not that he could blame her. After all, she had every right to be angry with him for what happened. So he just gritted his teeth and nodded.

"All right, it's settled."

She didn't acknowledge he'd said anything, covering the length of the hallway in long strides. Alex guessed that she must know where to find the Queen. And then they stopped abruptly. Just long enough for her to knock on an unimposing door. A muffled reply came from within, and Lilith pushed it open. He followed her inside, only to see Tarine seated behind a mountain of paperwork.

**2/Terreille**

Tarine glanced at the door to find that she had two visitors. Not only had Lilith come to see her, but Prince DeSade was right there, too. She wondered what could be going on to find both of them here. In the past two days, the Prince had rarely spent any time with her friend. And vice versa.

To her annoyance, she wasn't any closer yet to figuring out what was going on with the two of them. She didn't dare ask Prince DeSade, and Lilith kept inquiries about it off-limits. Tarine let that thought go and gave them a wan smile.

"Lilith, I sure hope you're here to find some reason I don't have to do all this."

"I thought Braetyn was supposed to be interviewing for an assistant…" Lilith glanced at the desk. "Or two."

"He is. And maybe in another _month_ he'll finally find a few candidates that he thinks are good enough to bring in front of me for my decision. In the meantime, look at this mess!"

Tarine grabbed a few handfuls of paper and dropped them back on the pile. Lilith scrubbed her forehead with both hands and shrugged helplessly.

"I'm sorry, Tarine, but there's nothing I can do to help you with this. However, I think I can at least make some part of your life easier."

"Whatever it is I'm so ready to hear it," Tarine muttered while she picked up a petition or some other official looking document.

"We're leaving."

The words were spoken so fast that it didn't sink in at first. Tarine wasn't even sure at first that Lilith was done talking. As it finally hit her what she'd heard, she looked up at the witch in front of her.

"What?"

"Prince DeSade and me. We're leaving."

"Leaving when?"

"Pretty much now."

"Wait- just wait and hold on a minute." She stood up and skirted the desk, nearly smacking her knee on the sharp corner in her haste. "Where is this coming from so suddenly?"

Lilith looked confused.

"Tarine, we already talked about this, remember?"

"Yeah," she admitted. "But…"

"Then what's the big surprise?"

"I guess I just didn't think you'd spring it on me without any warning, that's all."

Lilith scrunched her face into a worried frown, and sided a look over to the Prince.

"Well, it wouldn't be quite so sudden, but…" she drew out the last word into a sigh. "I'm about three months overdue somewhere else. It would be better if I didn't delay any longer than I already have."

It wasn't like Lilith to put off going someplace, especially if she was needed. So whatever had made her wait so long had to be important. And it sounded like wherever she needed to go wasn't here in the city. Tarine would have asked her the details, but if Lilith had wanted her to know where she was going, she would have said.

"Hmmm, I guess that would be a good reason to be in a hurry."

"Everything here is running just fine. You don't really need me here, anyway."

That wasn't the point. Tarine tried to smile and shook her head.

"That doesn't mean that I don't like having you around, you know."

"Thanks, but I really do have to go. I'll be back in a month to check in again."

"So long?"

"Yeah, I'm going to have some explaining to do, and it could be awhile before I'm…forgiven…over this."

So it was worse than Tarine thought. Lilith sounded like she was in very big trouble. She hoped her friend would be okay.

"Wait, what do you mean by 'forgiven'?" Prince DeSade asked, rounding on Lilith suddenly. "Forgiven for what?"

"I'll explain later," she grumbled.

"But…"

"I said I'll explain _later_."

Tarine did not want to get in the middle of that, so she just pretended to read something from the litter covering her desk. She hoped that wherever they were going wasn't a far trip. How they could travel together without killing one another was going to be a mystery.

"Fine, but I'll hold you to that," he threatened.

Lilith muttered something intelligible while the Prince turned to Tarine.

"Lady, I thank you for your hospitality. Seeing your district and Court has been an interesting experience."

"You're welcome, Prince. Having met you has likewise been educational for me and for my Court."

Educational was the tamest way of putting it. Prince DeSade had shaken just about everything Tarine had ever expected from Warlord Princes. Him, in particular. She had to admit that Lilith had been right. The caste and Jewels might have changed, but he had not.

Tarine had kept a watchful eye on him. Other than the incident in the audience hall, he'd never shown any sign of the cold rage she'd heard so much about. No one had complained to her that they felt unsafe around him. Not even the witches. True, they'd been intimidated. How could they not be? But aside from maintaining a polite distance, nothing out of the ordinary. Still, it was a relief that his stay wasn't going to be permanent.

Lilith looked from Tarine to the Prince and back.

"Okay, then. Since we're all civil at the moment, this looks like an excellent time to say our goodbyes and be off."

If her friend hadn't sounded so serious, Tarine would have laughed. Given the past few days, truer words were never spoken.

"I wish you both luck on the journey," she said. "And may the Darkness embrace you."

"You, too, Tarine," Lilith replied. "You, too."

With that, the two of them turned to leave the study, leaving Tarine to wrestle once more with her haphazard pile of paperwork. Lord Braetyn better hurry up and find some assistants for all this. She did not want to spend the rest of her life stuck in here.

**3/Terreille**

Lilith breathed a sigh of relief once they'd left Tarine's study. That was one task down. Now they just needed to survive the next few days on this trip to Kaeleer. She was determined that they could survive it in one piece, although it wasn't going to be easy. With a quick glance at Alex, she saw the dark look on his face.

Definitely not going to be easy.

"Okay, I need a minute or two to pack up some things in my suite," she said, hoping to skip over their unfinished conversation from a minute ago. "Why don't we meet in the entrance hall in a half hour?"

"Or I just wait for you to pack up. I never really called in anything I'd brought here from the inn, so there's not that much for me to do in my suite."

Lilith dithered for a minute, trying to decide how to work all this out. Honestly, she just wanted to take the Ebon-Black Winds to the Keep and have this over with tonight. But that was not at all fair to Alex…or to the SaDiablos, really. She had to prepare him as best as she could for what was coming. And that was going to take time.

Might as well get used to spending time around him, since she really didn't have any other choice.

"All right. This way."

Alex followed her down the hallway to her suite. It was in one of the older sections of the Queen's Residence, and was permanently reserved for whenever she came to visit. Tarine had offered her one of the newer suites, but Lilith preferred the character and perks she got with the suite she had.

After two staircases and another hallway, Alex finally got curious enough to say something.

"Just where in the hell are we going? The attic?"

"Close- there's a suite up in one of the corner turrets."

"It had to be so far out of the way?"

"Hey," she said, turning her head slightly to look over her shoulder. "I gave you the option of meeting me in the hall downstairs."

"Had I known the alternative, maybe I would have chosen that instead."

She didn't reply, and paused in front of the single door at the top of another set of stairs. A Sapphire lock on the door kept pretty much everyone out, but when she wasn't in residence, Lilith broke it. Otherwise, she'd be dusting her own cobwebs next time she was here. That seen to, she pushed open the door and stepped inside.

It took her several minutes of vanishing bits and pieces of her personal items before she realized that Alex was still in the hallway. Lilith poked her head out the doorway and glanced around. He was leaning against the plastered wall, staring up at the ceiling.

"What are you doing?"

"Waiting."

"Oh for the…" she replied, exasperated. "You don't have to wait in the hall, Prince. I'm going to be a minute, and I doubt the décor out here is that fascinating."

Alex shifted his golden gaze to her, and Lilith tried to ignore the fluttery feeling of having his full attention.

"And just what might be more fascinating in there, Lady?"

"The best view of the city you'll ever see," Lilith said as she turned back into the suite.

She went back to packing, leaving him to decide whatever he wanted to do. It had been a mistake to invite him inside. For a moment, she'd brushed a little too close to scars Meredith had given him. That he'd called her 'Lady' had been a dead giveaway Alex was piqued. It'd be better to let him deal with that without pushing.

Since she didn't know when she'd be back again, Lilith vanished most of the things in her bedroom of any personal interest. No telling how long it would take to slip away from the SaDiablos after this adventure. And even if she did come back, Lilith knew that the real work would begin. There wasn't going to be much time to visit or relax.

All that done, she hurried back into the main room of the suite. Alex stood at the window, looking out over Draega. Curiosity must have won against the pain. What did the city look like to him, she wondered. Lilith saw its tragic past overlaid with the possibilities of a brighter future ahead. But for someone like him, bitter memories might overshadow any ability to see it that way.

A few minutes passed without him turning away from the window, even though Lilith knew he was aware she was there. Reluctantly, she approached close enough to have an unobstructed view of the city below.

"Now I see why you chose this room," he said finally. "The view really is amazing from here."

"I've always thought so."

"It almost looks like a different city."

"One day it will be," she said without thinking.

Alex darted a look at her. Judging by the way his breath caught, it sounded like he wanted to say something to her. But the words never came out. Just as well.

"I'm packed, if you're ready to face the stairs again, Prince."

He turned away from the window after one last look over Draega.

"If we must, I suppose there's no help for it."

"I've wondered if I could convince Tarine to put in a pole straight to the first floor," Lilith admitted. "I could just slide down and wouldn't need the stairs. Of course, that would put the other end of the pole smack in the middle of the audience room…so that's out."

She wasn't sure if he was trying not to choke or laugh in response. Lilith didn't ask, letting the silence between them give her time to think as they trekked back to the first floor. Even stretching the journey out into two days, there was still so much she needed to explain to him before they reached the Keep. Much less Kaeleer.

Hell's fire, she could easily spend two days on just his family and nothing else. But there was the Kindred and the Kaeleer Queens. Mother Night, how was she ever going to ground him in some basics of Protocol in time? The thought of it all made her dizzy.

"Lilith, where are you going?"

She paused mid-step. "Hmm?"

Alex pointed to the door several feet back, somewhat bemused. "This is my suite."

"Right. Sorry, I was thinking and wasn't paying attention where I was going."

"I'll be just a minute," he said.

"No worries. I'll be out here."

"I suppose there's no fantastic view in this suite to keep you occupied."

"Not so much."

**4/Hell**

Daemon glided through the hallways, eyes never resting long on anything. He took in every detail, keeping mental notes. A tapestry here needed mending; A railing there needed a new coat of varnish.

Draca had been right. It had been too long since he'd been here.

Since the issue with Jaenelle Saetien and Lilith's mysterious disappearance began, he hadn't gone far from Dhemlan. When he'd dropped by the Keep in Kaeleer, its Seneschal, Draca, had been adamant that he needed to be in Hell today. She hadn't said _why_, but Daemon knew it was never wise to ignore a warning from her.

Now that he was here, he had no idea what he was looking for. The repairs were necessary, but not urgent enough that Draca would summon him here.

Maybe if he found Winnetta, she might have some clue. She had come to the Keep over a century ago, and had settled in as the senior housekeeper. Or he could find Forythe, the demon currently serving as the Keep's butler. Between them, those two knew just about anything going on in the Keep.

As he came closer to his official study as the High Lord, Daemon felt a ripple of discord. It grew stronger with every step. No need to look for Winnetta or Forythe now. He could feel that whatever was brewing here had everything to do with the way Draca had shoved him through the Gate this morning.

Daemon rounded the corner and saw Forythe blocking another demon from entering the study.

*What's going on here, Forythe?* he sent on a private thread.

*This one appeared out of nowhere about a week and a half ago in one of the public parlor rooms. He's been like this ever since, demanding to see someone with authority*

Only a fool barged into the Keep making a demand like that. A cold smile played across his face as Daemon thought of ways to accommodate the insolent puppy.

*It appears to be the Warlord's lucky day*

The butler couldn't entirely repress a shudder at the deadly steel sheathed in those softly spoken words. But he nodded, and gestured to the demon who was still yelling at the top of his lungs.

"If you'll just wait a few minutes, the High Lord will be right with you."

"He damn well better be," the Warlord snarled.

Daemon wrapped himself in a sight shield and passed unnoticed into the study. Only when the rage was sufficiently leashed did he give Forythe a mental tap to let him know that he could admit their obnoxious guest. The demon shoved his way past the poor man, barging into the study without any sense of caution. A mistake he would soon regret.

But for now, Daemon pretended not to notice the insult. Obviously there was a story here, and he'd choke down his rage long enough to find out what it was.

"Lord Forythe said that you wish to see me."

"And it's about time, too. That damn demon couldn't find his ass in the dark much less do anything useful."

"I see. Is that what you came to see me about, then? Complaints about the staff here at the Keep?"

"They're certainly not anythin' worth payin' for," the man sneered. "But I've got bigger things to discuss."

"By all means," Daemon replied, voice dangerously calm. "I don't believe that my butler provided me with your name."

"Lord Henkel."

"Very well, then. Do sit down, Lord Henkel, and tell me what is so important that you need the help of the High Lord."

The Warlord cast him a suspicious look, but sat in the chair opposite Daemon's across the blackwood desk.

"That bitch had me executed," he spat out suddenly.

"I'm afraid you're going to need to be a little more detailed than that, Warlord."

"All three of them were nothin' but prissy cunts who don't know the meaning of a little fun. First it was that bitch Queen in the southern district who branded me over nothing'."

"Branded?"

The Warlord held up his left palm, showing an angry red scar of an eye set over a broken tree. Strange. He'd never seen that particular mark before. The Warlord was Hayllian, so he expected that the Queens he meant were part of Meredith's coven. What could they be doing?

"By her trained twat lickers."

"Did this Queen give any reason for the branding?"

"Some bullshit about a little nobody slut getting hurt. It wasn't my fault she broke her hand. Wouldna even happened if she'd just quit struggling like she didn't want it."

Daemon almost gutted the man right then, but he pulled himself away from the killing edge. Barely. The man had raped a witch, or at least tried to. A brand was the least of what he was going to get by the time this audience was over. When he was sure he could speak without snarling, Daemon pressed for more information.

"I see. And you said there were two others?"

"The first bitch threw me out of her district. Said she'd execute me if I came back. So I found someplace else to be. That's when I met _her_."

Malice and hatred filled Henkel's voice, matching the ugly expression on his face. If he hadn't heard the part about the girl, Daemon would have thought the Warlord meant Meredith. She deserved to be reviled. But instinct was telling him that the Warlord meant someone else.

"Met who," Daemon prompted.

"Dunno her damn name, but she's the one who had me executed. They all think it was the other bitch Queen who ordered it, but I saw them look at one another. It was the other whoring cunt next to her who told her to do it."

"And what was the reason that time?"

A nasty gleam in the Warlord's eye told Daemon he didn't need to hear the answer.

"That hot little prick teaser at the inn should have just kept quiet. If not for the screamin', we'd have had a grand time." His leering grin fell. "Instead here I am- a damn corpse."

_Not for long_. The wretched excuse for carrion was well on his way to the final death awaiting him. But Daemon was curious what he thought the High Lord would do for him.

"And what would you have me do about that, Warlord?"

"Make examples of them."

"How so?"

"You're the High Lord, aren't you? You've got the power to set it all right in Hayll. Purge Draega of all those bitches who think they own us and give the territory back to Blood males. But start with _those _three. Start with the cunt who sent me here."

"If you expect me to sort through all the witches in Hayll without even a name to start, I wouldn't waste my time trying. Even if I was so inclined."

"I got names for two of 'em. Queen Tarine and Queen Collette. The one who branded me and the one who delivered my sentence. "

"But the third- the one you want most of all," Daemon asked knowingly.

The Warlord snarled and tugged at his shirttails, but said nothing. The movement drew Daemon's attention to something stuck in the pocket. Odd. He hadn't noticed it when the man sat down. Now it was almost impossible not to see it. Like someone wanted him to notice.

Daemon steepled his fingers in front of him as he looked at the Warlord with sleepy bored eyes.

"I can personally see to your situation, Warlord."

"That's all I want. I deserve justice."

_And you'll most certainly get it_, Daemon agreed silently. However, he expected their definitions of justice were wildly different. One last game, though, before he finished playing with him.

"Anything else? Is there anyone you'd like me to notify of your predicament? I noticed you seemed to have some letter in your pocket. Is there someone in Hayll that is waiting for it?"

The Warlord looked down at his shirtfront and snarled again.

"Dunno what it is. I've been tryin' to find out for days, but I can't seem to catch hold of the paper."

Spelled.

Someone had spelled the letter and put it in his pocket. Daemon sent out a cautious psychic probe to unravel whatever spell had been used. The second his probe reached the page, it disintegrated. Gone without a trace or even a sense of who might have put it there. Very strange, indeed.

"Try again and hand it over to me, Warlord."

The man shrugged, and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Daemon held out a hand for it, curious to know what was written inside. He broke the seal and began reading. With every word, the room grew colder. His rage grew deeper. When he'd finished reading, Daemon tossed it casually on the desk and leveled a chilling look at the Warlord. For the first time since walking in the study, the man looked uncomfortable.

"I don't know what any of that said- it's not mine, I tell ya. You can't hold me responsible for anythin' in it."

Daemon said nothing. The man got out of the chair and pointed a finger at the letter.

"That bitch in Draega probably put it in there after I was dead, lookin' to get me in trouble."

"Why don't you come with me to my private study and we'll find out," Daemon replied icily.

The man tried to bolt out of the study, but Daemon raised a Black shield around the room. The letter gave him a vivid picture of the kind of Warlord this man was, and what he'd done in Hayll. He didn't know who'd penned it, but having heard what the man had already admitted to, Daemon believed it was all true.

The High Lord would find out for certain. Using Craft, he floated the struggling Warlord out of the room and headed to a place meant for that sort of work. It had been a decade at least since he'd performed his last Execution. Daemon never forgot any of them, but he had a feeling the memories of this one were going to be particularly difficult to erase.


	19. Chapter 18: Comings and Goings

**1/Terreille**

Alex didn't need much time to finish in the suite. He was just stalling. Why? Because when he stepped out that door, he'd have to spend the next two days with Lilith.

She was and wasn't what he'd expected, given the way they'd left things before. Around Tarine's Court, their conversation had been cordial. And even just now when they'd been alone, Lilith hadn't shown any of the cold distance that Alex had expected. The only time she got touchy was the few times he'd tried to bring up what had happened between them.

As much as he wished that he could just let it go like she wanted, Alex knew that they had to deal with it. But whether the time for that was during this journey to his family home, he was inclined to take Lilith's advice and just put it all on ice for now. With a sigh, he left the suite and hoped they'd survive the next few days.

Lilith had wandered down the hallway, and turned back at the sound of the door closing. She looked at him for a minute as if trying to make a decision about something.

"What?"

"I was just thinking," she answered slowly. "It might be a good idea if you turned back into Lord Vrede for a little while."

Alex didn't think he was going to like where this was headed.

"Why's that?"

"While Tarine's district is safe enough, but once we leave it, we'll be travelling through some unfriendly territories in Hayll." She shook her head. "I don't want rumors getting back to Meredith that would tell her that you were here. Tarine's not prepared yet to fight her on an open battlefield."

She was right. If Meredith ever did suspect that he'd been deliberately sheltered in one of Draega's districts, she would crush its Queen and everyone living there. Alex didn't want to be responsible for that happening to Tarine and her people. So he called in the illusion.

"I suppose it would be a wise move to keep a low profile."

He keyed the illusion, and saw Lilith nod.

"Exactly. That disguise will ensure no one suspects who you really are. They won't look twice at us."

"If that's done, are we leaving now?"

"Yep, it's time to go."

She turned and led the way out of the Queen's Residence. It was surprisingly empty, considering the time of day. Even the square outside was quiet. All the better to make it easier for them to leave. Alex suspected if there had been a lot of people milling around, they'd all want something from Lilith before she left. Even if it was just a minute to say goodbye.

They slipped through the district almost unnoticed, taking the less used alleys instead of main streets. In no time, they'd reached its edge. Lilith stopped before crossing into the next one. She sighed heavily and looked over at him.

"This district is currently ruled by Lady Jaemie, one of Meredith's pets. We have to cut through it to get out of Draega."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning I'm going to turn into a bitch for about twenty minutes and I wanted to give you some warning first."

Alex understood immediately. Yeah, a warning was definitely a good idea if she was going to play that sort of game. He didn't argue that it made sense, especially if they weren't trying to draw any unusual attention. But that didn't mean he was going to like it, either.

"I can deal with it."

"All right, here we go, then."

In the space between minutes, he saw a swift transformation come over her. Lilith was gone, and in her place was a cold-eyed bitch Alex had never seen before. Even the way she held her body and moved was different.

"Well, don't just stand there, Warlord. I don't want to spend all day on my errands."

If Alex didn't know that it was just a façade, he would have believed she was every bit the same as every other bitch loyal to Meredith. The demanding tone in her voice with that haughty stare was a perfect match. To his thinking, it was both impressive and frightening how convincing she was.

Lilith's foot began to tap impatiently, obviously waiting for his reply.

"Yes, Lady. My apologies."

"Save them and just get moving."

He nodded, and started walking. As they reached a marketplace, she paused at a peddler's stall every now and then to browse. She would pick up something from the table, sneer at its quality, and walk away without making a purchase. All the while, Lilith directed cutting remarks at him for being clumsy or getting in her way.

Eventually, the crowds thinned until no one was around. The main road branched off, and Lilith nodded to take it. They passed unnoticed through the last gates before reaching the edge of Draega. After they'd gone a mile or so, Lilith stopped. She pressed her hands to her face and exhaled. When she looked up, the persona she'd adopted was gone again.

"Well, at least _that's_ over. I'm sorry you had to experience one of my least admirable disguises, Prince."

"I don't think I've ever seen someone change like that without an illusion spell," he replied.

"I guess I should be relieved to hear that she doesn't resemble me at all. In any case, we're away from the city and I won't need her again for a while."

Lilith talked about the persona like it was a separate person. Something that was, but also wasn't, her. He could empathize, thinking of when he went cold. That facet of himself was almost someone else, too. Could she control hers any better than he did, he wondered.

"What's the plan from here," he asked, setting those thoughts aside.

"There's a blacksmith a few miles away. We'll get horses from there and ride for the border between Hayll and Askavi. If we're lucky, we'll reach it tomorrow."

"Horses? Couldn't we just ride the Winds?"

She shook her head. "No chance. Meredith has guards posted at all of the landing webs in Hayll looking for you. Even with the disguise, it's better not to take chances."

"I'm surprised that she thinks I would leave the city," Alex said. "It would make the most sense to think that I'd go after her coven first."

"Meredith likely did at first. But by now, she's going to focus her search outside Draega to catch you that way."

"You sound like she might know where I'd be going."

"She does, Prince."

With that, Lilith started walking again. Alex closed the distance between them. He tapped her shoulder, but dropped contact immediately when she cringed away.

"How would she know?"

"Because she's the one who took you from your parents in the first place."

Not expecting that response, Alex froze. He'd never quite known how he'd ended up in Meredith's Court. Even after Lilith had told him that he did have family out there somewhere, he'd only guessed how he was separated from them. But Lilith knew for sure how it had happened. Alex decided he wanted the answers.

"You seem to know a lot about my life."

"I've known your family for decades, Prince. I'd heard the story from their side more than a few times from your sister. Once I'd installed myself as a servant in Meredith's hall, she filled in the rest. Turns out she isn't very careful about what she says in front of the staff."

Not surprising. The witches in the housekeeping staff were even less important than the Blood males Meredith had held captive. Alex was sure that Lilith had heard all sorts of stories while she'd played that role.

As they resumed walking to the blacksmith, Alex thought about what she'd said. If Meredith had taken him from his family, he had to wonder why they never fought back. He knew why the families of the other Warlords hadn't fought. None of them had power enough to do anything about it. But given his Jewels, he had to believe that he'd inherited the power from someone.

So why hadn't they fought to get him back?

"I notice that my family never tried to reclaim me."

"For two very good reasons," Lilith said.

"Such as?"

"First and foremost- they think you're dead."

"Oh." Alex thought for a minute. "Well, I guess that would make a rescue seem futile."

"Indeed."

"And the second reason?"

"Neither of your parents has set foot in Hayll in over seven centuries." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "And never will again."

"What do you mean?"

"This realm- Hayll especially- holds unpleasant memories for both of them. I know if they tried to come back, it would damage them, probably forever. That's why I came instead."

"What kind of memories?"

"That's something I'd better leave unsaid. You'll have to ask them."

Obviously, Lilith knew a lot more to that story. But if she said she couldn't tell him, he doubted he would change her mind. That's when he realized what else she'd said.

"You said this realm."

"That I did."

"You don't mean that they…"

"Live in Kaeleer, not in Terreille. Yes, that's exactly what I mean."

"And just how are we going to get there?"

"There's a Gate at the Keep in Askavi."

"But…the Shadow Realm. You're telling me it's real?"

"Trust me, Prince, it is. Like you, I was born there."

Like him. The world spun. He'd been born in the Shadow Realm. A place that Meredith had claimed didn't exist. A bedtime story told to entertain children, nothing more. He remembered seeing more than one witch or Warlord maimed for claiming the stories were true.

Now he understood why. Meredith was willing to do anything to keep him from learning the truth about where he came from. What might he have done if he'd thought there was someplace he could escape her control?

The what-ifs weren't going to help now. Alex was curious about the first half of what she'd said. He'd wanted to know since the day they met where she was from. Now Lilith had finally told him. Or at least given him an idea where to start.

"Where?"

"Doesn't matter."

"I thought you were Hayllian. Is there a territory in Kaeleer called Hayll, too?"

"No, but there's Dhemlan. The long-lived race belonging to that territory is similar to the Hayllians."

"So that's where you're from."

"I was born there, yes."

It was an odd sort of answer. Alex sided a glance to her, and wondered why she was so secretive about where she came from. Silence hung between them as they walked on. Just as he was about to venture a question, they turned a bend and saw the blacksmith.

Lilith picked up the pace, leaving him to follow her lead. The blacksmith looked from her to him and back again as they approached. He crossed beefy arms over his chest and frowned.

"What be yer business here?"

"Two horses," Lilith replied with an easy smile.

"I ain't got anything fancy, if that's what yer lookin' for."

"No need. Just something sturdy and used to travelling."

The blacksmith continued to look skeptical. "If ye want the horses, ye'd better have the marks to pay for 'em. I don't take no credit here."

"Not a problem." Lilith called in a handful of silver marks and flashed them at the man. "Marks we have. It's the horses we need."

Pacified by the sight of silver, the blacksmith gestured to a small corral behind the shop.

"I got five horses- any of 'em will do. Take yer pick."

The horses definitely wouldn't have been in any aristo stable. But Alex could see they were all sound creatures. Lilith walked up to the fence and whistled. A few of the horses raised their heads, but two came over to her. They stretched their necks over the rails and whickered at her. Lilith laughed, shaking her head at them in bemusement.

Alex watched as she stroked one on the nose and fondled the other's ears. She turned to the blacksmith, who stood open-mouthed.

"These will do."

The man rubbed a hand over his sweaty neck, utterly perplexed.

"I'll be damned if I ever saw anything like it before. Ye sure got a way with animals, I'll give ye that!"

"They take to me, I suppose. What's the price?"

"Seein' as they've taken a shine to ye- ten silver marks apiece ought to do it."

"Done."

Lilith didn't haggle on the price, which surprised Alex. He would bet they could have talked him down a few marks. Maybe even gotten it down to six for each. But he kept silent as she negotiated a deal for saddles and other tack for the horses. He waited to ask her about it until they'd mounted and had ridden some distance away.

"Why did you agree to the price outright?"

"Because I wanted these horses and we don't have time to haggle."

"Why these two?"

Lilith sighed, and patted her horse's neck. "You can't feel it, can you?"

"Feel what?"

"They're Blood, Prince. Not full Blood, but Blood."

Alex almost dropped the reins in shock. Blood? Horses could be Blood? She had to be joking with him.

"I don't believe it."

"You'd better start believing it. When we get to Kaeleer, you'll start meeting all sorts of Kindred. It's best you start getting used to the idea now."

"When you say Blood…what do you mean, exactly?"

"Jewel-wearing, Craft-using Blood."

"And you say they live in Kaeleer?'

"They rule whole territories in Kaeleer."

Alex thought back to the books he'd bought only just this week. At the time, Alex thought it was just a story. Something the author had made up. But now he wasn't so sure. Alex called in the first one and held it up.

"Where did you get that," she asked, surprised.

"A bookseller in Tarine's district had them in his shop. I got it around the time you arrived."

"And you read it, I'm guessing."

"I did. I believed it was fiction."

Lilith's eyes were dancing with amusement, and an uneasy feeling filled him. Mother Night, she was going to tell him that it wasn't. He knew that's what she was going to say. She tried several times to speak before finally answering him.

"The events are fiction, but the inspiration behind them…is very, very real, Prince. Scelties are quite common in Kaeleer. And Fiona's books are perhaps the most accurate depiction of what it's like to live with them."

"Oh."

"If only it were that easy to live with the rest of them," Lilith mused to herself.

Alex did not want to hear that. Having read about Scelties, he got the impression that they could be a pain in the ass more often than not. And now Lilith was saying there could be something _worse_? What the hell was he getting himself into, Alex wondered. Lilith must have realized the direction of his thoughts.

"Relax, Prince. Your family will teach you what you need to know about the Kindred. They won't let you do something stupid that gets you eaten by one of the cats."

"Was that supposed to be reassuring?"

"Of course."

He couldn't tell if she was sincere or not, but let it go. Certainly it wouldn't do him any good to ask how a cat could eat a grown man. She might actually tell him.

Maybe that was enough about the Kindred for a while. Alex coughed slightly and made an effort to change to a new topic.

"What else I should know about Kaeleer?"

"We only have two days' travelling ahead of us. There's not enough time to answer that question."

"Maybe you could skip the details and give me the highlights."

Lilith considered his question. Meanwhile, the road passed through a large wood, and Alex began to notice how quiet it was. After living in Draega most of his life, spending time in the open country gave him a sense of deafness. He kept listening for sounds of voices and the hustle and bustle of the city.

Several minutes passed before he could hear the natural sounds of the forest. It made him acutely aware that he was very much alone with Lilith. She interrupted those thoughts with a heavy sigh.

"Well, you'd better be prepared for a very different interpretation of Protocol than you're used to, for starters."

At least he was more prepared to talk about that over the Kindred. But Lilith couldn't know that he'd already started reading the Protocol books that she had introduced from Kaeleer. He was curious what she'd say.

"Different in what way?"

"In almost every way, Prince." She called in a book and handed it to him. "Here, this should give you an idea."

Alex had expected her to hand him a Protocol primer, but pretended he didn't know what it was. Taking the book, he balanced it in front of him with Craft. Alex read a few pages and realized very quickly that this was a different book entirely.

Oh it contained a lot of the same rules, but it was organized a little differently, and included some he hadn't read yet. And those especially…were beyond belief. He closed the book, incredulous.

"You're not serious."

"Dead serious."

"What is this? It's definitely no Protocol primer."

"How would you know?"

"I bought a set- from the same bookseller who sold me the Shadow and Tracker books."

"Oh."

Lilith's shock was evident. As was her inability to find some way of reconciling it with whatever she'd intended to say.

"Is that a problem?"

"No, no it's not," she said in a distracted way. "It will make things easier, actually. Especially if you've read any of it."

"About halfway through. You're right that it's very different than what passes for Protocol in Meredith's court."

"She only dusted off the same books that Dorothea and Hekatah vandalized as they shaped Terreille into their warped playground."

Alex almost flinched at bite in her words when she said 'vandalized'. Obviously a touchy subject better left alone for now. He held up the book she'd given him.

"So what is this, then, if it's not part of the general set of Protocol books?"

"That is a collection of Protocols specific to your family."

"We need our own book?"

"It's a good start, I must admit. But to explain everything would take a whole set, Prince."

He moved to hand it back to her, but Lilith shook her head. "That's yours to keep. If you browse through it on the journey to Kaeleer, you might stand a better chance of feeling more at ease when we get there."

"Maybe I'll read some later," he said, vanishing the book. "About the first page…"

"Yes?"

"It repeated something I saw in the Protocol books."

"Go on."

"It says the first law is not obedience."

Lilith sighed in exasperation. Alex guessed she'd had firsthand experience with that law.

"Your uncle read that when he first came to Kaeleer, and ever since, the males of your family have embraced it with far more enthusiasm than the author intended."

"And they get away with it."

"As if we could stop them," she muttered with an inelegant snort. "Being obstinate and stubborn is almost a requirement for Warlord Princes in your family. Just ask your sister when you see her. She'll agree with me."

They continued riding as Alex digested what she'd said. He wasn't sure he found it all that flattering to be called obstinate or stubborn, but he couldn't argue that it wasn't true, either. That was beside the point, though. Lilith was telling him that what he'd read was true. He wouldn't have to back down just because a Queen gave an order.

"Blood males actually have power," he said more to himself than to her.

"Of course they do. What's the use in having any if you're not able to use it?"

"So I could wear my Jewels."

Lilith hesitated a moment. "I dunno if I'd walk around wearing your _rank_ Jewels, but the lighter ones wouldn't be out of place. The Red would fit in the best, but the Ebon-Gray would do just as well."

"And you'd know all about that, wouldn't, you?"

"I'm just saying that Jewels darker than Ebon-Gray aren't that common."

"And Jewels darker than Black…just how common are they in Kaeleer?"

She was obviously in no hurry to answer, judging by her expression. Alex had wanted to bring it up, and this seemed the perfect time for it. The shock of seeing her disappear through an Ebon-Black shield had stuck with him for the last three months. He wanted an explanation.

"Lilith- how many?"

**2/Hell**

Daemon left the room feeling numb. He never could have expected that- never could have been ready for it. If the Execution had been just about the Warlord's crimes, it would have been one thing. But he had seen something far more disturbing while he'd extracted every last second Lord Henkel had owed the Blood.

Gradually, the numbness shifted into rage. The Keep was a blur of stone walls and corridors as he headed back to the Gate. Demons took one look at him and wisely fled. Even Winnetta and Forythe kept out of his way. Just as well. Only one person had the answers to what he'd just seen.

Well, two. But one of them wasn't so easily tracked down. And that meant he needed to get back to Askavi to have a chat with his darling witch-child.

He lit the black candles on the altar and set a timing spell. The Gate opened and Daemon stepped through into the Keep in Kaeleer. Impatiently, he waited to be sure that it closed behind him before walking away. Daemon passed through the Keep with a predatory glide.

From the landing web, he launched himself on the Black Winds and headed for Ebon Rih. Jaenelle Saetien and the cats were still there, or at least were when he'd left for the Keep this morning. They'd better still be there now. Or back at the Hall. Daemon was not in the mood to chase them all over Kaeleer today.

Minutes later, he landed in Askavi. But before he headed for the cabin, Daemon contacted Lucivar.

*Prick- the cats and Jaenelle Saetien. They're still at the cabin, right?*

Wary surprise hummed over the connection.

*Yeah, they're still there*

*They're returning to the Hall right now*

*Something wrong?*

He didn't trust himself to answer, and broke the link instead. Lucivar's question would have to wait until after he'd gotten some answers of his own. Daemon turned towards Jaenelle's cabin and started walking.

She was waiting for him at the door by the time he'd gotten there. Lucivar must have warned her. Jaenelle Saetien looked pale and worried. As well she should, he thought darkly. The cats were flanking her, their hackles raised. And since he wasn't interested in tangling with them just yet, Daemon stopped just before he was in range.

"Papa?"

"I am going to ask you one last time, Jaenelle Saetien, and I want you to consider very carefully before you answer me."

This daughter nodded mutely.

"Where has Lilith been for the past three months."

Jaenelle's shoulders hunched and she wrapped her arms around herself. She took several shaky breaths before answering him.

"She went to Draega."

"And you knew that from day one, didn't you."

"Yes, Papa."

"All three of you."

"Yes, Papa."

He just stared at her until he could leash the rage enough to ask his next question.

"How long was she supposed to be there."

"A week- maybe two."

Daemon was furious. Beyond furious.

"How long were you going to wait before you told me where she'd gone?"

"I was hoping she'd come back before it came to that," Jaenelle said in a small voice.

"And what if it's too late by now and she's not coming back?"

"She _will_ come back. Lilith promised."

"The Lady went to Draega, witch-child. She didn't sneak into Askavi or someplace moderately safe. She went right into the heart of the worst Terreille has to offer. At the mercy of Meredith and her coven or any of their pet Warlords."

"But Papa…"

"I met one of the latter today," he snarled at her.

"One of what?"

"A Warlord. He arrived rather mysteriously in Hell not long ago. Do you know what he wanted to do to your friend, Jaenelle?"

"N…no."

"Be thankful for that answer, because I do. Lilith is lucky that he was executed before he had the chance."

"That means she's all right, then," Jaenelle said in a hopeful tone. "You said he arrived in Hell recently. So she must be okay."

Daemon wasn't so optimistic. Just because the man hadn't been in Hell for very long didn't mean he hadn't been dead for a while. It could have taken him weeks to make it there from Draega. In the meantime, who knew what sort of trouble could have befallen Lilith. There were hundreds more like that Warlord in the city.

Hadn't he warned them all about what had happened to Hayll? Witches weren't safe there. No one was safe there with Meredith and her court controlling the Blood. They'd recreated everything Jaenelle had destroyed when she unleashed her power and cleansed the Blood.

It had taken centuries for Askavi and the other Territories to recover. A long road to heal the scars of the past had made them stronger. But not Hayll. The rot had only grown back. And he'd made it crystal clear no one was to go there for any reason.

But Lilith had gone anyway, and Jaenelle Saetien had kept it a secret. The witch was likely dead by now, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"We're going back to the Hall, now."

"Shouldn't we…"

"_Now_."

"Yes, Papa. I'll pack my things."

While she turned inside to the cabin, Daemon paced. What had Lilith been thinking to go to Draega? Who had she been standing with- the Queen who'd had the Warlord executed? Obviously not one of Meredith's chosen, even though it was evident she ruled the district.

None of it made any sense. And the only person who could explain any of it was dead. Or perhaps not. She might still be in Draega, doing whatever she went there to do. Daemon knew there was only one way to find out for sure. As soon as he took Jaenelle back to the Hall- and locked her inside- he'd see for himself what happened to the witch.

The door to the cabin opened again, and Jaenelle shuffled over to him. The cats slunk beside her.

"We're ready."

Daemon said nothing, and they departed for the landing web. The trip on the Winds was terse, and no one said anything upon arriving at the Hall. Even when Beale admitted them to the entryway, Jaenelle didn't do more than slip quietly through the door. That's where Lucivar and Surreal were waiting.

"Sadi, what's wrong?" Surreal asked. "I thought you were going to the Keep."

"I did," he replied. "Draca advised that I should make a side trip into Hell."

"What for?"

"To deal with a problem."

Lucivar and Surreal exchanged a puzzled look. His brother was the first to ask the obvious question.

"Then why are you so upset with the waif? She's been in Askavi the whole time."

"Yes, she has been. Meanwhile, her _friend_ has been in Draega."

"No." Surreal said in a whisper, glancing at Daemon in horror. "No, Jaenelle Saetien, she didn't. Not there."

"It's not that bad," Jaenelle protested. "She's _always_ careful."

Daemon's attention caught on the way she'd phrased her answer.

"Always," he repeated in a deadly whisper. "Meaning she's gone to Draega more than just this once."

It was too late for her to deny it. Jaenelle nodded, and the blood drained from Surreal's face.

"Jaenelle Saetien…"

"What was the Lady doing in Draega, witch-child?"

"Papa, I can't tell you that."

Jaenelle Saetien's chin was set stubbornly closed and her eyes defiant. And since Daemon didn't have the patience or the time to pry it out of her by force, he switched tactics. Slipping his hands in his trouser pockets, he feigned disinterest.

"Fair enough," he replied with a shrug. "Since you're not inclined to provide me with answers, then I will have to ask the Lady herself."

"Lilith will tell you, Papa, when she gets back."

"You misunderstand me, witch-child. I'm done waiting for the Lady to return."

In the answering silence, they all began to realize what he meant. Surreal shook her head violently.

"But Sadi, you'd have to go to Hayll to find her."

"Bastard, you know what that'll do to you."

Daemon said nothing, and turned on his heel without so much as a backward glance. None of them dared follow. As he left the Hall, he woke the Black shields. No one was leaving it without his approval. Ever again.

By the time he'd reached the Keep on the Black Winds, Daemon's temper had only grown more volatile. He knew that Surreal and Lucivar were right, and that going into Hayll wasn't something he could handle. Draega especially. Not how it was now- so much like it had been all those years ago.

_So why am I going? _

Lilith might be a close friend of Jaenelle Saetien's, but she wasn't family. The thinnest veneer of responsibility he had for her was that she was Dhemlan, and he ruled the Territory. Beyond that, there were no real ties between them. Certainly nothing that would obligate him to track her down in that cursed place.

_So why am I going?_

That thought kept repeating itself as he returned to the Gate. When he got there, Draca was waiting.

"Prince," she addressed him, a warning in her tone.

"Draca."

"The Gate iss not available today."

"I am going to the Keep in Terreille today."

"It iss not available," she repeated firmly.

Daemon seethed with annoyance, but held his rage against the Keep's Seneschal. He may be the High Lord of Hell, but Draca was the Queen of Dragons. So he would leash his temper.

"When will it be available?"

"When it iss needed."

He counted to ten and exhaled slowly.

"I beg your pardon, Draca, but it _is_ needed now."

"Such impatience. The answerss you seek will find you, Prince. There iss no need to be so recklesss."

Draca already knew. Daemon could tell from the look in her eye that she knew exactly where he'd planned to go and why. But she was telling him to wait. The answers would come to him. In what form she hadn't said, but he would have them.

Frustrated, the end of his sigh turned into a snarl.

"There's no way I'm getting through that Gate today, is there?"

"You will know when the time iss right to return."

That was as much a dismissal as any he'd ever heard before. Daemon might stand here all day before the Gate, but Draca would be right here to block his way. There was nothing to do but return to the Hall and wait.

**3/Terreille**

The time of reckoning had come. Lilith should have known Alex would ask about her Jewels, thanks to her disappearing act in his suite. So many mistakes, and she still didn't know how to fix them. That is, if they could be fixed. Alex was staring at her, waiting for the answer to his question. Lilith hung her head, defeated.

"Just one."

"Meaning just you."

"Yes, just me."

"You told me you wore the Ebon-Gray."

"I didn't lie, did I? I do wear the Ebon-Gray."

"Yeah, but you conveniently left out telling me that they weren't your Rank Jewels."

Lilith's temper spiked. She pointed a finger at him.

"I don't recall you being any more forthcoming about your Jewels, you know. You were perfectly happy to let me think you only wore the Red. Didn't say a peep about the Ebon-Gray or anything else. Don't try to deny it."

A consternated look crossed his face. Good. If she'd been cornered, then she wasn't the only one. Plus it was a nice way to distract him from any further questions about rank Jewels, specifically hers. Nothing positive would come from _that _conversation once it got started.

And then suddenly, Alex bolted upright in the saddle. Lilith was struck by her error almost immediately. Damn, what was the matter with her? He reined his horse close to hers and pulled them to a stop.

"Just a damn minute, Lilith. I never said anything about wearing an Ebon-Gray Jewel, and I certainly never used it the last time we met. So just how did you know?"

"Same as anyone else does it. Test the resonance of someone's power and get a feel for their birthright and rank levels. You've had to have done it yourself from time to time."

"Well, yeah, but…"

"Lucky for you, no one else in Terreille wears Jewels dark enough to make out yours. Meredith would not have been pleased to know what you've been hiding."

"No, she wouldn't."

Lilith patted her horse's shoulder and shrugged.

"And even if I hadn't done it that way, it's not possible to descend to the Ebon-Black from the Red. You ought to know that."

He looked stunned that she'd actually said it aloud. Maybe she shouldn't have. Lilith blew out an uncertain breath and gritted her teeth to apologize.

"I've never admitted wearing the Ebon-Black to anyone," he said in a hushed voice.

"Likewise."

"Not even in Kaeleer?" Alex asked in surprise. "I would think they'd know."

"They do not, and I'll thank you to keep that in mind when we get there. If you want to reveal yours that's your business, but I intend to keep mine to myself."

"I see."

Alex let go of their reins and the horses started forward again. They hadn't gone far when he decided to ask her another question.

"So it didn't seem odd to you that you sensed three Jewels?"

He opened the door to the conversation, so they might as well get this over with. No matter how much she would rather not discuss it. Lilith sighed.

"Prince, if you know I wear the Ebon-Black, you must realize by now that I know it's not just three."

"But…no."

"Red, Gray, Ebon-Gray, Black and Ebon-Black," she recited, counting them off on her fingers. "Five Jewels."

"How can you…"

"Does it really matter how I can tell?"

"I guess not."

She wasn't sure what to say next, and waited to see how Alex would respond.

"The Red and the Ebon-Gray appeared at my Birthright Ceremony," he said after some silence had passed between them.

"And you showed Meredith only the Red."

Alex nodded. "The other three were there when I made my Offering."

"But you hid those and only showed her the Ebon-Gray."

"It seemed the wisest decision at the time."

"I agree. Gray would have been too light in Meredith's court. And the Black too dark."

He seemed to toy with a question, unsure whether he really wanted to know the answer. Lilith kept riding, pretending not to notice until he'd made up his mind.

"Perhaps you could tell me why only three were set when I got them. And why there were two that appeared as loose stones on the altar."

Oh Lilith wasn't sure if they were at all ready to have this conversation. She really didn't want to explain whose Jewels he wore. Not in any detail, anyway. So she'd keep this very generalized and hope it'd be enough.

"Most Jewels received at a Birthright or Offering ceremony are re-gifted from someone else who wore them before. Someone who's already returned to the Darkness. Their Jewels sleep until they resonate with someone again."

While he digested her words, Lilith took a breath and moved on to the second part of her answer.

"But a few rare times, an uncut Jewel is gifted. It's never been worn before by anyone else."

"Both the Ebon-Gray and the Ebon-Black were uncut."

"Makes sense. Jewels above the Gray are still quite rare in the history of the Blood. So there aren't as many to be re-gifted."

Alex called in his Black Jewel and studied it closely.

"So it's possible to know who last wore this one?"

_Oh please, please, _please_ don't make me answer this right now_. Lilith tried not to let it show how much she dreaded this line of inquiry.

"Yes, it's possible."

He said nothing for a while, before vanishing the Jewel again. Lilith waited for him to ask the next logical question. She was bracing herself that he may ask her if she knew. Because she did. And if he asked, she'd have to tell him. The Darkness only knew what his response to that would be.

But he didn't ask. Alex shook himself out of his thoughts, and gave her a sideways glance.

"So my family only knows that you wear the Ebon-Gray."

"Hmmm…not so much, Prince."

"You can't tell me that they believe you don't wear any Jewels."

"You did."

"I wouldn't have for long. Besides, my sister is supposed to be your friend. How could she be crazy enough to send you into Draega if she thought you didn't wear Jewels?"

"Fair point," Lilith conceded reluctantly. She was not going to enjoy admitting this next part, but there was little help for it.

"In Kaeleer, everyone thinks I wear Sapphire."

"And do you?"

"Yes, I do."

Fortunately, he didn't focus on what should have been obvious about her admission. Instead, he jumped right to a different thought.

"But when you're in Hayll, you pretend not to wear Jewels at all."

"The ruse has its uses," she replied casually. This wasn't a much better direction. "People say and do a lot more if they don't think you can't do anything about it."

"Lilith, do you realize how that sounds?"

"I imagine it sounds pretty bad."

"Yeah, it does. Hell's fire, how many brawls have you been in with would-be rapists before we crossed paths?"

"I don't think it's wise to answer that question."

Alex swore and muttered under his breath.

"Explain something to me, then."

"What?"

"You admit that in Kaeleer the first law is not obedience."

"Yes."

"And my family is particularly fond of that law."

"They are," she answered, narrowing her eyes.

"And yet they willingly stand aside to let a Sapphire Jeweled witch play around in Draega whenever the mood strikes her?"

"Oh, well, they don't know about all this. I find it cuts down on the arguments."

With that, she urged her horse into a gallop. Alex reacted a split-second later, obviously still sputtering from her reply. There was more than one way to prevent an argument, she thought with a grin. Not to mention, they had to cover a lot of ground today, so a spirited run would get them started.

The horses galloped over the forest road for several miles before Lilith felt hers begin to tire. He wanted to keep running. Lilith could feel the joy he felt knowing that she saw him as something other than an animal. That he wasn't alone anymore.

But she gently reminded him that they had a long way to go, and there would be more chances to run later. With a snort, he pulled back and slowed to a trot. That's when Alex pulled even with her and shot her a murderous glare.

"You did that on purpose."

"Guilty as charged. You wanted to argue. I didn't."

"Are you always going to be this stubborn?"

Lilith was taken aback by the implication. Always gave her the impression that he expected to see her often. That was dangerous. An entirely too disquieting thought to entertain. And so she tried to shrug it off.

"I am known to be very stubborn about a lot of things. Or so your sister tells me often enough. Sounds like you'll be able to commiserate with her."


	20. Chapter 19: Loyalties Divided

**1/Terreille**

Meredith couldn't be more pleased with her success in the past week. The outcry against Dhemlan had fanned throughout the city like witchfire. The right speech here and a few carefully worded messages there, and suddenly everyone was seeing Dhemlan spies in the shadows. Any dissenters and malcontents were being branded as traitors and publicly tortured.

Hell, even if Ettia and her cousin didn't come back with solid proof of any Dhemlan spies, Meredith wouldn't care. In fact, she preferred that they died in that blasted territory. Then she could use it to rally even more support in Draega. It would be the most use she could get out of them. Certainly more than they'd been here in the Hall.

"I think we ought to send out a welcome party to meet Lady Ettia and her cousin when they are due back from their errand," she announced.

"To what end," Valinna asked distractedly as she leafed through an old Craft book.

"Just as some insurance. We don't want them to ruin the good work we've been doing here while they were away."

The Black Widow gave Meredith her undivided attention, setting the book aside.

"So you agree with me that it's most likely that they will return empty handed?"

"They won't be returning at all."

"I see." Valinna braced her hands on the table between them. "Last I checked, they were still alive and well in Dhemlan. If they've made it this far, it's very likely they will make it back to Hayll."

"Maybe so," Meredith said with a shrug. "Maybe not."

The witch considered the nuance behind the words.

"And if they did manage to discover some useful information about Dhemlan?"

"We never said that it needed to be delivered in person," Meredith replied with a sly look. "Perhaps they were able to send a letter before they were caught."

"Delivered to the court by this welcoming party you intend to have waiting for them."

"Naturally."

Valinna sat back again and gazed thoughtfully at her. The wheels in her head were already turning, aligning with the new direction Meredith was proposing. More than anyone else, she understood when a few martyrs would do more for their cause than anything else.

"For what you have in mind, you couldn't send anyone from the coven. Even if you made them believe that Ettia and Bethaeny had turned traitor, there would be a risk they wouldn't follow through. Not to mention it would stir up discord in the coven again."

"I was thinking I'd buy the services of a few Warlords. They may hate us still, but our gold marks spend just as well as copper marks begged from some low-rank shopkeeper."

"Better yet, if you devised a way to avoid paying them anything."

"I'm listening."

"What if our poor Sisters managed to escape Dhemlan with valuable information for the coven, but were waylaid on their return by rogue Warlords. All that we could recover were their haphazard notes, and a description of the men responsible. Provided by some helpful witness in the right place at the right time, of course."

Meredith was liking this plan. She nodded for Valinna to continue.

"Once the word gets out that we're hunting for the men responsible for their murders, our Sisters will be more than happy to rip them apart. No surprise, the Warlords would have marks stolen from their victims."

"Which we would expect to be returned to the coven's treasury."

"Exactly."

"I must say, that plan holds promise."

Rather than immediate assent, Valinna paused.

"If you're sure that disposing of them makes the most of their value to us, then I would agree."

Hell's fire. What was wrong now? Every time she felt confident that Valinna was behind her plans, the Black Widow always had to throw a counter-argument at her. Usually, it meant a small adjustment. But Meredith knew that wasn't going to be the case this time.

"And what, Valinna, would you consider making the most of their value? Keep in mind that it was mostly _your _idea to send them to Dhemlan with the hopes they'd get themselves killed in the first place."

"Very true. And if that were the case, I'd still be all for it."

"So what's the difference if they die in Dhemlan or die just outside Draega?"

"If by some miracle those two were successful in Dhemlan, why kill our only way into that Territory? If they think it's sure suicide, I guarantee that no one else in the coven is going to volunteer to go for the next mission. And there _will _be a next mission. We both know that."

"Who said anyone was going to volunteer? I don't recall Ettia or Bethaeny volunteering for it. They'll go because I tell them to."

"Not yet they won't. Your claims against Dhemlan spies have worked well for us lately, but Draega and the coven aren't solidly behind you yet."

Meredith glided over to one of the floor-length mirrors and studied herself in the glass, unconcerned. Her fingers flitted over the low-cut bodice and smoothed wrinkles out of the champagne colored silk. She lifted them to pat her hair, ignoring Valinna's annoyed look.

True, Draega wasn't quite as subdued as it had been three months ago, but she could very well deal with a few reluctant witches in the coven. Replacements could be found anywhere in the city. She might even elevate some of the lower-rank witches in Draega's slums. Just to put the coven in its place.

They enjoyed power and wealth because she allowed it. Meredith could just as easily bestow that power and wealth on someone else. Someone who might be far more grateful to have it. While she'd prefer to have the descendants of aristo families in her closest circles, she'd scrape the scum from the bottom dregs if it meant they would obey.

"All I'm saying," Valinna continued carefully, "is that we should consider letting Ettia and her cousin complete a few successful missions into Dhemlan before they meet an untimely, well-timed end. When it will have the most effect."

"As I see it, this is an opportune time for it. A very easy way to dispose of some of the more troublesome Warlords in the city, and to stir up more support for the strike against Dhemlan."

"And that's all you'll get out of it."

"Tell me, oh wise Valinna, what more do you want to get out killing a few witches?"

The witch stood up slowly, and circled the table. She shook her head at Meredith, her piercing stare speaking louder than words how disappointed she was in her. How Meredith hated that stare. She was a Queen- the strongest Queen to live in Hayll since long before the Purge. And that look made her feel like a stupid beggar child.

"Why don't we reconvene this evening, and you tell me if you've thought of the answer to that. I'm not always going to be here to provide tactical guidance for you, Meredith. I suggest you start learning what I've been trying to teach you before it's too late."

With that, Valinna turned and left. Meredith was so stunned that she couldn't summon a reply. How dare the crone talk to her that way? Just because she was the oldest member of the coven, Valinna thought she could get away with such insolence. Did she think that she was above punishment? She wasn't.

Meredith stared at the door, crossing her arms. Fine. If Valinna wanted to resume this later, they would talk later. And she certainly had a few things to say to the Black Widow that had nothing to do with the fate of their two spies. Make no mistake that Valinna would have a clearer understanding who gave the orders in Draega once it was over.

**2/Terreille**

Kareal kept her back to the room, pretending to be dusting the heavy curtains that hung over the windows. In truth, she could hardly breathe. She hadn't wanted to take this assignment, but Fawne had been ill this morning. They couldn't chance losing an opportunity to spy on Meredith and Valinna these days. So Kareal had come instead.

Mother Night, it was a good thing she had. Their group was counting the days for Bethaeny and Lady Ettia to return from Dhemlan. After the developments of the past few weeks, they were sorely needed to rally support in the coven. Meredith was beginning to win witches back to her side with the story about Dhemlan spies.

To have them murdered before reaching Draega would be a fatal blow. Maeren and Danella were doing their best, but neither of them was strong enough to lead the group. Kareal felt as though they'd all been treading water until Bethaeny and Ettia came back. They needed to come back. And soon.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that the chamber was empty, and let out a sigh. She'd shake out this last curtain and head off to meet the others.

"It'll be fine," she whispered to herself. "We'll find a way to fix this."

Sadly, their best hope right now was that Valinna would convince Meredith to hold off for a while. That would at least give them some time to come up with a plan. Kareal wasn't sure how much they could put together with only a few days. A week at the outside.

Fawne was better at the planning stuff than she was, so maybe she'd have some suggestions. If the coven witches would listen to her, anyway. Of the ones still active in the group, only Maeren heeded them at all. The others weren't so generous.

Oh sure, they were happy to use the housekeeping staff to spy and run errands. But none of them wanted to give them any real authority. Always the same reply- it was too dangerous for them to know anything of value in case Meredith singled them out. The coven witches didn't want to admit that they weren't as ready to see non-aristos as their equals as they claimed they were.

That's why they needed Bethaeny and Ettia back- especially Bethaeny. Kareal sensed that she really meant what she said about ruling Hayll together. Her cousin, though, was more like the rest of them. She didn't entirely trust her. Neither did Fawne. But this was Ettia's idea, and there wasn't much chance of doing anything without her.

It was time to go. Kareal picked up her bucket of supplies and scurried out of the room. Fawne and Maeren would be waiting for her in the storage room next to the kitchen. The walk down to that part of the Hall seemed to take forever, and she kept feeling that someone was watching her. No one was, of course. But she couldn't convince herself that it was just nerves.

Finally, she reached the storage room and slipped inside. Almost immediately, a taper of witchlight flared in the darkness.

"See, I knew you could do it," Fawne congratulated her with a light cough.

"Fawne, I don't know how you and the others do this all the time. I'm not cut out for that kind of spying."

"I know you'd rather stick to something a little less risky, but we really needed eyes and ears in that room today."

"You have no idea," she muttered with a grimace.

Fawne's face paled, and Maeren frowned.

"What is it, Kareal? What did you hear?"

"They are planning to murder Lady Bethaeny and Lady Ettia before they reach Draega."

"_WHAT?_"

"Actually, Meredith is planning to murder them- a plan about an ambush with hired Warlords to make it look like they were attacked. Then she's going to sell the Warlords out to the other members of the coven so she can get the money back that she paid them."

"Wait- back up and slow down. What if they come back with something useful about Dhemlan? We all know that it'll be just a story, but Meredith was expecting them to find something."

"Doesn't matter what they bring back. Now she just wants them dead."

"I don't understand," Maeren said, frowning. "I know that Valinna wanted them to die in Dhemlan, but Meredith was very clear that she wanted information about the Territory. Why would she change her mind now?"

"Because the information is less important than what she'll get out of killing them."

"And what is that?"

"I was trying to follow along, but then she and Valinna started arguing and it got a little confusing," Kareal admitted, embarrassed.

"Just tell us what you heard," Fawne encouraged.

"Something about timing and using their deaths to their advantage," she started slowly. "That they could be rid of some 'troublesome' Warlords and rally support for the cause against Dhemlan at the same time."

"Do you know what they might be thinking, Maeren?"

The other witch thought for some time. So long that Kareal almost convinced herself that even she was stumped. But eventually, she nodded.

"Yes, I think I know what Meredith is planning. If she convinces the rest of the coven and enough of the other witches in Draega that Dhemlan Queens paid those Warlords to assassinate Bethaeny and Ettia, they'll be seen as martyrs.

"And while the immediate focus will be on destroying the Warlords responsible, once that rage has been quenched, the witches will cry out for revenge against Dhemlan. Meredith will have more than enough support to win over some of the weaker districts. It will bring her that much closer to getting the war she wants."

"If that happens, we're finished," Fawne murmured.

"More than likely. I don't think we'd be able to stop it once that wheel is in motion. Especially without Bethaeny or Ettia to lead us."

"We may get a break," Kareal spoke up. "That wasn't all that I heard."

"Good, because we could use some help right now."

"The source of that help might surprise you."

"Oh? Who is it?"

"Valinna."

Even in the dim witchlight, she saw surprise etched in Fawne and Maeren's faces. Both witches took several minutes to recover.

"Did I hear you right- Valinna? She's the one who wanted them dead from the beginning."

"And she still does- just not right now."

"I guess that's _some _help."

"She hinted that it would be better to let them run a few spy missions in Dhemlan for a while, then kill them later. But that's as far as she got before she and Meredith got into a major tiff over it. And then Valinna just stormed out of the room."

"I see. Very interesting."

"They're supposed to meet about it again later today, but I don't know when."

Maeren nodded to Fawne.

"You and the others will need to keep a close eye on both of them this afternoon and send the word when they are alone again. We'll need to get someone in there to hear what else Valinna has planned."

"I'm sure it's going to be as bad or worse than what Meredith has planned," Fawne replied dismally. "But at least it sounds like we'd have some time to think of a way out of it. I don't think we'll have the same option with Meredith's plan."

"Agreed. So we're all set on what needs to be done?"

Kareal nodded, and so did Fawne. She had a bad feeling that the someone who would be in that room tonight would be her. Hopefully, it wouldn't be her last assignment. The way that discussion had ended did not bode well for how things would go later tonight. If she was lucky, they'd be so focused on tearing each other apart that neither of them would notice her.

_Mother Night, I never thought things would get more dangerous at the Hall._

The three witches left the storage room, one at a time to avoid attention. It was time to get back to work.

**3/Terreille**

Ettia had about enough of Bethaeny's pouting. It was well past mid-morning, and she still hadn't come out of her room. Hadn't come out since last night's argument.

"Just like a child," Ettia muttered as she stood outside the door. "Well, I'm not putting up with it."

But as much as she wanted to scream and vent at her cousin, she knew that wasn't the way to get her out of the room. Bethaeny would just dig in harder. So she tapped lightly on the wood paneling.

"Bethaeny, it's me. Why don't you come out and we'll order something to eat?"

No answer. Ettia knocked a little louder this time.

"Starving yourself isn't going to get back at me, you know. Let's just move on."

When Bethaeny didn't answer again, her patience started to wear thin. There was no way she was going to wait for her cousin to come to her senses. It could take until Hell froze over for that to happen if it was left up to her. Ettia knocked one last time, hand on the knob.

"Cousin, really, act your age." After a pause, she sighed. "If you're not coming out, then I'm coming in."

As she pushed open the door, Ettia expected her cousin to be squared off to argue again. Bethaeny just didn't understand what was at stake here, and how easily she could be manipulated. It'd be Ettia's job to make her understand. _Why won't she just listen to me_, she griped as she stared at the empty room.

Empty.

Ettia blinked in shock, and looked a second time. The room was still empty. Bethaeny was nowhere to be seen, and all of her things were missing. Back in Hayll, her cousin's suite always looked like a ransacked hideout, clothes strewn all over. But this room was spotless. Not one thing out of place.

"That thankless bitch," Ettia snarled. "She ran off last night after I went to sleep. Probably back to that damn community she saw yesterday."

Incensed, she stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her.

"Of all the stupid, idiotic things for her to do. Now I'm going to have to find this place for myself and drag her out of there."

Which was precisely what Bethaeny had known she would do. Her cousin was more clever than Ettia had expected. If she'd had any idea that Bethaeny would play this particular hand, she would have shielded the room last night. That would have spared both of them this ridiculous excursion today.

Too late for thoughts like that, though. Ettia needed to be leaving now if she hoped to find her cousin. She started packing a few things for the day when a loud knock on the door startled her. Heart in her throat, Ettia just stared at it for a moment. What if Bethaeny's new Warlord friends had come to find her instead?

"Begging your pardon, Ladies, but the innkeeper was asking if you would be paying for another night in the room," said a voice on the other side of the door.

Hell's fire, she'd forgotten that they would need to settle accounts today. And Bethaeny had run off with most of their funds again. If Ettia paid for the room tonight, she wouldn't have anything left. And it might take longer than that to find her cousin. She couldn't take that risk.

Before the woman could knock again, Ettia opened the door and tried to force a smile.

"Thank you, but I think my cousin and I will be moving on today. I'll just be a few more minutes to clear out all our things and we'll be on our way."

"Very good, Lady. May the Darkness embrace you both on your journey."

"Yeah, um…thanks."

The witch bobbed slightly and turned away. Ettia breathed a sigh and went back to the suite. In minutes, she vanished the rest of their belongings and checked over the rooms one last time. It was definitely time to go.

Meanwhile, Ettia wondered what in the hell the witch meant about the Darkness embracing her. In Draega, you heard something like that and immediately expected death or worse. But here it seemed to mean something else. As common as any other greeting.

Not her problem right now. Right now, she had to focus on finding Bethaeny. Ettia wished she'd read the address on that card her cousin had mentioned. Without it, this hunt was going to take forever. And with every second more that Bethaeny stayed with those people, the more hooks they'd sink into her.

Ettia looked up and down the busy street and wondered where to begin. Her cousin said she'd been approached by a Warlord when she went to a public garden. Maybe it would work again. Ettia would wander around looking lost for a while, then choose some random park and wait. It was worth a try, anyway.

So she started walking. And started thinking. Out in the city with the Dhemlan, she felt horribly exposed and conspicuous. Hell's fire, she'd survived Draega- survived Meredith. A place like this should be easy. Ettia was furious with herself that it wasn't.

The day wore on, and she kept walking. Street after street full of people. Ettia had never seen so many people in her life. Draega was about the same size city, but even if Meredith dragged everyone out into its streets for a day, Ettia doubted it would equal the crowds of Amdarh.

After a while, she forgot what she set out to do, and started wandering. When one of the shops caught her eye, Ettia went inside to check it out. Floor to ceiling, the shelves were lined with goods finer than anything Draega had to offer. She ran fingers over linens and lace, while her eyes flitted over flawless china and glassware.

Another shop sold books. Ettia walked into a third and found paintings and other artwork. Street after street it went, and she could only shuffle on in a daze.

By late afternoon, Ettia was tired. And hungry. She hadn't eaten all day. Just down the street was a dining house. Maybe she ought to stop and get something there before moving on with her search for Bethaeny. Ettia held her head up and walked into the dining house.

It was full, even for this hour. Ettia scanned the room, immediately taking note of the clientele. Witches, Warlords- even a Prince or two, from what she saw. The second she ordered, they'd all know she was from Hayll. What would they do when they found out?

"Excuse me, Lady, but are you interested in a table?"

Ettia jumped, focusing her attention on the witch who'd spoken. A White-Jeweled woman whose natural expression tended to smile.

"Yeah, I think I am."

"Excellent- right this way, then."

They threaded through the tables to an open deuce halfway through the room. Ettia sat at the table as the witch walked away. She picked up the menu. Far more choices than anything she'd seen in Draega. Hell's fire, foods she'd never even heard of. Should she try one of those, or go with something familiar?

"Any thoughts what you'd like tonight, Lady?"

"To be honest, no. There are some things here I've never tried, and I wonder if I'd like any of them."

"If I may make a recommendation," a male voice said to her right.

"You would be the person to know best, wouldn't you," the serving witch said with a laugh. "Aren't you in here almost every night? I think you've tried everything on the menu."

Ettia risked a glance to the table next to her. A Prince with Sapphire Jewels sat on the far side. He looked at her and shrugged.

"It's true. My sister's a lousy cook, so I spare myself the stomachache and eat here."

She would not be lured in, no matter how much she wanted to believe that he was telling an innocent story. Ettia narrowed her eyes speculatively at him and said nothing.

"Why don't I give you another minute to look things over," the serving witch said.

Ettia just stared at the Prince. He sighed and shook his head.

"Lady Bethaeny was right about you, Lady Ettia," he said at last. "You're not going to be easily convinced."

"I might have guessed," she replied. "You're one of the men she met in the park yesterday, aren't you?"

"Lord Willem, at your service."

"Thanks, but no thanks, Prince."

"Not even if my help could reunite you with your cousin?"

"And then your little 'community' would have both of us."

"I make a rule never to argue with Ladies from Hayll, so I won't entertain you with an answer to that."

"Why not?"

"Why won't I answer you, or why don't I argue?"

"Either."

The Prince shifted his chair around the table slightly, the movement drawing him closer to her. Ettia held herself still against the instinct to back away. But she could see that he knew she wanted to. The bastard.

"I gave up arguing with you all decades ago- it always ends in a stalemate and damaged feelings."

"Is that all?"

"Enough of a reason for me. But I know what you want me to say. I won't."

"I wouldn't expect any of you to admit it."

"That's because none of us are liars, Lady."

"In my experience, everyone is a liar when it suits them."

"May I offer you some advice, Lady Ettia," Lord Willem said quietly.

"I probably won't take it, but go ahead anyway."

"Go back to Hayll."

"What?"

"Whatever they did to you there is beyond what we're going to fix. You'd be better off in your own territory where reality meets your expectations. Dhemlan is going to be too alien for you to accept."

Ettia was outraged. How dare he tell her what she should do? The arrogance of the Prince for thinking he knew what she could or couldn't do. Never mind that she fully intended to get out of this territory as soon as possible. But she wasn't going to turn away just because a man told her to. And certainly not before she found her cousin. She stood up and walked right up to him. The man didn't stand, merely inclining his head to look up at her.

"I'm not going anywhere, Prince. You may want me out of your precious territory, but I'm not leaving."

"I didn't say that, Lady. I'm simply telling you that Dhemlan is not ever going to be an easy place for you to live, and you might be better off in Hayll."

Thoroughly disgruntled by the calm in his tone, Ettia did something that surprised her. She plunked down in the seat opposite him at his table and folded her arms. As he stared at her, bemused, she shrugged.

"I'll decide that after you've shown me this community I've heard so much about. And talked with my cousin. In the meantime, maybe you can make good on your offer to suggest something to eat here."

Lord Willem raised an eyebrow at her and shook his head. He nodded at the serving witch, who was finishing with an order at another table. The woman hurried over to them.

"Now this is a surprise- sharing a table for once?"

"I'm not sure I had a choice in the matter. It seems the Lady made it part of the bargain if I was to suggest the meal."

"I'll try to keep that from getting around or you'll never get peace again," she teased with a wink. "So what'll it be?"

"The Lady and I will have the roasted duck and two glasses of whatever white wine the house is serving tonight."

"I'll put that in with the cook and bring you the wine shortly."

With her gone, Lord Willem turned back to Ettia. He gave her a shrug and folded his hands on the snowy tablecloth. Around them, the dinner crowd chattered on without paying any attention to them. At last, he spoke.

"So, Lady Ettia, we've got a whole dinner ahead of us. Any ideas for conversation topics that won't ruin our appetites or end up in another argument?"


	21. Chapter 20: The Dream and the Nightmare

**1/Terreille**

They rode all day. Alex was sore all over by the time they reached an inn for the night. He didn't care that the dusty little town looked rather worse for wear and the inn was humbler than anywhere he'd stayed in his life. If it had food, a bath and a bed, he was happy enough. Lilith dismounted and handed her horse to the waiting groom. Alex did the same and winced at the ache in his legs.

"Are you sure this is a safe place to be, Lilith?"

"It's fine. This is one of the few border towns between Hayll and Askavi. It's too small for the New Court to find it of interest."

"Well, then I don't know about you, but I'm starved. I hope the innkeeper has a well-stocked kitchen tonight."

Lilith breezed past him and pushed open the door. Inside a lively group of Warlords and witches were enjoying themselves. A few raked a curious glance their way before returning to their friends. Alex followed her to the bar.

"We're travelers passing through for the night on the way to the Keep- what rooms do you have available?"

The man behind the bar looked from Lilith to Alex and back. Alex got the feeling they were being measured up. Mostly Lilith. When he'd made up his mind, the Warlord gave them an easy smile.

"Busy night tonight. We got just the one room left if you want it."

Alex felt her tense beside him.

"Would there be any other rooms in town available," she asked in a strained voice.

"Don't reckon so. We don't get a lot of traffic through here."

Lilith shot Alex a disgruntled look.

"I don't suppose you'd be up to moving on until we reach the next town? It'll be larger- might have more rooms available there."

"We've been riding all day. I'm wore out; you're wore out. Let's just take the room and make the best of it."

The innkeeper nodded at Alex and gave Lilith a wink. "Listen to the Warlord, Lady. You both look done in to me. There's no sense riding to Kethal tonight. It's almost twenty miles from here."

Twenty miles? Oh _hell_ no. Alex was not riding another twenty miles tonight. He reacted before Lilith could turn the offer down, pulling out several gold marks.

"We'll take the room."

Lilith hissed under her breath, seething with irritation. But she didn't argue with him. Alex took the room key and flashed a triumphant look at her. For once, he'd gotten the upper hand today. It was about damn time.

"Would you be taking supper here in the common room, or upstairs?"

"Upstairs is fine."

"I'll see the cook sends it up shortly. Yours is top of the stairs, fourth door on the left. It's got a bathroom and the linens are fresh."

"Thanks."

With that, Alex led the way to the second floor. The room wasn't fancy, but it was at least clean. Lilith scurried past him and scrutinized every detail. Her gaze froze on the single bed.

"Oh no- this is just not going to work at all." She tried to push by him, but Alex blocked the doorway. "Prince, we can't stay here."

"Why not?"

Her glare could have roasted him alive. "Seriously, you did not just ask me that."

"Okay, so not ideal. But it's only for tonight. We'll survive."

"No way."

"Hey, we survived worse than this."

"This is definitely nothing like that," Lilith denied as she paled and shook her head.

"Right. That's what I'm saying."

She was about to let loose the mother of all arguments when a knock at the door interrupted her. Alex answered it, and allowed a kitchen maid inside. With all the tension in the room, she hurried to deliver the food as quickly as possible. When she'd gone, Alex gestured to the table.

"You might as well face facts, Lilith. I'm right and we're just going to get through the night here."

"I hope 'Nelle knows what she's getting into," Lilith muttered as she sat down. "Why she's so eager to add another stubborn male to her family is beyond me."

Alex sat, too. He picked up the loaf of bread and broke off a piece.

"So you've said about the Warlord Princes in my family. I take it there are quite a few?"

"Your father, uncle and two cousins are all Warlord Princes. That's a whole lot of stubborn male temper if you ask me."

"And do you argue with them, too?"

Lilith hesitated, a faraway look in her eye. Then she shrugged.

"I'm rarely around long enough to argue. Usually a few days here and there."

Alex wondered why that felt like a lie and the truth at the same time. But he pushed that thought aside.

"If you've known my family for decades, then you can tell me about them."

They'd talked most of the day about Kaeleer, and general questions about the Blood. But Alex was really hoping to hear something about his family. Hell, the names of his parents would be a good start.

"I could. What do you want to know?"

"You might tell me their names as a start."

Lilith toyed with her fork, making him nervous. What could be so difficult about that question? She muttered a prayer under her breath and sighed.

"I suppose it's past time to get that over with. Your father is Daemon Sadi, the Warlord Prince of Dhemlan."

"What exactly does that title mean?"

"To give you the short version- he rules that Territory, and its Queens answer to him."

His father ruled a territory. Unheard of in the parts of Terreille he'd known. Was it common in Kaeleer- or even in other Territories in Terreille? When Lilith had said males had power in Kaeleer, he'd never expected that much.

Alex thought of the second half- his father ruled over Queens. Was Lilith one of those Queens? She hid her caste here in Terreille, but maybe she was more open about it when she went back to her native realm. Even so, picturing her taking orders from anyone was next to impossible. He'd have to see for himself.

"I see," he answered at last. "And my mother?"

"Lady Surreal SaDiablo."

The names of his parents. For centuries, he'd never known where he'd come from. Now he had that much to hold onto. Alex was glad in some ways, but in others, he realized just what else Meredith had taken from him.

"So my name isn't really Alexander DeSade, is it?"

"Not if you'd lived in Kaeleer."

"Did they have one picked out?"

"That's something even I don't dare ask," Lilith admitted. "At least not to your parents. And your sister didn't know the answer when I asked her."

"I dunno if I could get used to a new name."

"You won't have to."

"Won't they expect me to change mine back to what it should be?"

"No, they won't." She must have seen that he wanted to ask why, and shook her head. "You'll understand when you get there."

"Okay. My sister- you said her name was 'Nelle."

"That's just her nickname. Her full name is Jaenelle Saetien SaDiablo."

"Interesting name."

"She's an interesting witch, so it suits her."

"And there's two cousins and an uncle?"

"Three cousins, actually. Daemonar, Andulvar and Titian. They're the sons and daughter of your uncle, Lucivar Yaslana."

Those names stuck him as odd, and it took Alex a few minutes to realize why.

"Those are Eyrien names."

"Yes, they are."

"Are you telling me that they're all Eyrien?"

"Lucivar is Hayllian and Eyrien- dual bloodline. But make no mistake, as he's been known to say himself, he's Eyrien in every way that counts. He married an Eyrien hearth-witch, Marian."

"I see."

"No, likely not. You won't really understand until we get to Kaeleer. Lucivar is someone you need to experience in person." She rolled her eyes heavenward.

"I hope you like being woken up at the crack of dawn to drill with practice sticks. I will never forgive 'Nelle for not warning me the first time I went to Ebon Rih for a visit."

"You can't be serious."

Lilith shrugged and attacked a piece of broccoli with her fork. Before it even left the plate, she set it down again and sighed.

"A word of advice…don't make Lucivar fetch you."

"What happens?"

"Don't ask. If he tells you to be at practice, just go."

They ate in silence for a while. Alex was thinking of the people she'd described. The names all tugged at something in his memory. A forgotten conversation or a half-told story. Every time he thought he'd caught a hold of it, the thought slipped away from him.

**2/Terreille**

Lilith hoped that Alex wouldn't press the issue about how seriously Lucivar took drill practice. Or at least if he did, he'd wait until she was out of range and didn't have to deal with the aftermath. As for herself, she had no intentions of being hauled out of bed at the crack of dawn and dumped under a cold shower. Once exceeded enough.

"So is that all you're going to tell me, or is there more?"

"Oh there's more," Lilith assured him. "It's just hard to know where to begin."

Alex looked dubious, pushing his plate aside.

"Virtually anywhere is fine. I just want to know something before I get there and come face to face with them."

"Why should you have the unfair advantage?"

"Beg your pardon?"

"They're not going to know anything about you until you get there. Perhaps I should let you meet them on even ground."

Judging from the look on his face, Alex did not agree with her proposed plan. Lilith wasn't serious of course, but after that stunt he pulled with the room, he deserved to worry a little.

"Lilith, I'm not sure that's a good idea…"

"Yeah, I know." She sighed. "Can it all wait until tomorrow, at least? There's a whole day to ride through Askavi yet."

"I suppose it can. Although…you do owe me one answer."

"What?"

"What was that earlier with Tarine- about being forgiven? You said you'd explain later. Well, now it's later."

"Should have just kept talking about your family," Lilith muttered to herself.

"Too late for that now. Answer the question."

"Fine, no need to get snarly about it."

"Would you quit using that word," he replied, exasperated.

"'Fraid not. So if you don't mind, we'll get to my explanation." She stacked up the dishware and gave a small shrug.

"I was only supposed to be in Hayll for a week. That was the plan I made with 'Nelle. A quick trip in and out of Draega to break Meredith's hold on you and take you back to Kaeleer."

"Obviously, that week is now three months gone by," Lilith continued with a sigh. "If I'm lucky, the only person who will grill me about it is 'Nelle. She will be super pissed at me that I stayed away so long and didn't send any word when I'd be back."

"You could have gone to Kaeleer in three months."

"Return alone and crush my friend's hope that she might see her brother? Yeah…no. That would have been far worse."

"But…"

"Worse, Prince. End of story. So yeah, I expect she'll give me hell over how long I've been gone. But at least _she'll _forgive me if it wasn't for nothing."

"Someone else won't, I take it."

She rested her elbows on the rough wooden table and sunk her chin in her hands. Lilith knew Alex was staring at her, but she kept her eyes focused on the space between them. Start safe, she supposed.

"The cats will be upset, most definitely."

"The cats?"

"They live in the Hall with the SaDiablos when they're not in Arceria…or with me. They're some of the Kindred I mentioned today."

And that's all she was going to say about them for the time being. Alex didn't need to know that she wasn't quite sure how they would react to him. Or what could happen- even to a man like him- if the Arcerians took exception to him. Ebon-Black Jewels or not.

"Why would they be upset?"

"They didn't want me to go in the first place. At least not without them. But I stuck 'Nelle with the task of keeping them in Dhemlan. Something else she's likely going to give me hell for. Stuck in the Hall for three months must be driving her crazy."

"So there is someone with sense. Anyone else?"

Lilith tried to nod, but it was difficult the way she was sitting. She slid one hand down to rest flat on the table, and drummed her fingers a few times before answering.

"It was one thing when it was only going to be for a week. With the way I come and go at the Hall, no one thinks to press 'Nelle about where I've gone. But by now even they would have expected me to visit at least once."

"So if she couldn't keep this a secret from Daemon Sadi or Lucivar…" Lilith paused. "I will be in serious trouble when we get to Kaeleer."

"What will they do?"

"I honestly don't know. Lucivar will yell. That is a guarantee. But there's no telling about Daemon."

The silence was uncomfortable, leaving Lilith to imagine what the High Lord would do if 'Nelle told him where she'd gone. At least she could count on her friend to keep the _why_ a secret, even if she had no choice but to spill her guts about the where. There would be no stopping him if he knew why she'd gone to Draega.

"Is that part of why you never went back," Alex asked quietly. "Because you're afraid what he might do?"

"Worried that he might do something inconvenient like tether me to Dhemlan for a few months? Almost certainly. Annoyed that he'll drag me into his study and lecture me in that bossy tone of his? Beyond a doubt. But afraid I might be hurt? Never."

"That doesn't sound all that bad."

"He _could_ throw me out of Dhemlan and tell me not to come back. Unlikely, but I did break the rule. No one is supposed to go to Hayll. For any reason."

"Is that the punishment?"

"If you make it back alive, yeah. But I'm gambling that he'll let this one slide. It'll be harder to visit 'Nelle if I have to wait for her to leave the territory."

Alex sat back and thought for a while. She'd probably told him too much, but it was nice for once to let her thoughts have the weight of sound. Over the past three months, they'd chased themselves around her head like Sceltie puppies, nipping at her all the time. Finally, they were let loose on someone else.

"You wager with high stakes, Lilith."

"This isn't the first time, and won't be the last."

For a moment, she thought he might try to bring up their unfinished conversation from Tarine's garden. She braced herself to fend off another attempt to discuss what happened in Meredith's Hall.

"I don't think I envy my father the task of dealing with you," he said finally. "From what I've seen so far, the Warlord Princes of my family aren't the only ones who embrace that first law."

Lilith didn't know whether to be relieved or insulted. Either way, she was pretty sure her jaw was hanging open in a very unladylike fashion.

"Why…you…" she sputtered. "That's so…"

"True?"

"Unfair," Lilith retorted.

"Oh I think it's more than fair."

She was going to argue, but a yawn caught her off-guard. Lilith rubbed a hand across her face and sighed.

"I think this disagreement will have to wait for morning," she admitted.

"Or you could just concede now."

"Nope."

Alex gave her a look that meant she'd have her hands full winning that argument. But that was a worry for tomorrow. Tonight, she had just one thing on her mind. Her eyes darted to the bed at the far side of the room. She had to find some way not to spend tonight in that bed with Alex. He must have noticed.

"You're going to be difficult about the one bed issue, aren't you?"

"Define difficult."

"You're going to insist on sleeping somewhere else."

"How is that difficult?"

"Where were you planning to sleep? The chair? We both know you won't get any sleep that way."

"Then _you_ be the one to sleep in the chair. That will solve the problem just as well."

"Neither of us is sleeping in the chair, Lilith."

"Yeah, well, both of us aren't sharing that bed, either."

"And there it is- difficult," Alex muttered. "Just what are you so worried about?"

Lilith checked herself before she answered him. What was she worried about? Obviously he had no interest in her. That was clear enough from the day they'd parted. No way in Hell was he going to make an invitation to her that would involve sex.

Lilith admitted that it wasn't him, it was her. As she'd feared, this trip was already eroding the impersonal wall she'd built to protect herself against him. It had been easy in Tarine's court with everyone else around. She couldn't talk to him informally if they were around, or they'd find out things they couldn't know about her.

Once they'd left all of that behind, though, Lilith struggled to maintain the same distance. So far, she could only congratulate herself that she hadn't given in yet to the temptation to call him by name. The second she did that, it would be over. Alex would hear everything she wanted to hide.

That was beside the point. She couldn't get into that bed with him. Not only was it a temptation, it was also dangerous. The nightmares hadn't abated at all over the past three months. Alone in bed they were bad enough, but with him there…Lilith wasn't sure what would happen. They could get far worse.

Alex was in front of her, waiting for an answer. Lilith realized that she couldn't give him one. She'd waited too long to lie, and giving him the real answers would be worse than the risk of sleeping in the bed. So she was trapped…again.

"Nothing," she replied shortly.

"It had to be something."

"I wasn't thinking. Just forget it."

"No more arguments…just like that." He eyed her suspiciously.

"Just like that. Now let's forget it."

Alex's expression didn't change, but didn't say a word when she called in some clothes and headed for the adjoining bathroom. Lilith had no intention of changing into pajamas in front of him. And tonight, she would be wearing pajamas. He could growl at her all he liked.

_Mother Night, I hope Alex gives us both a break and wears them, too_, Lilith thought suddenly. In Kaeleer, Warlord Princes tended not to wear anything to bed. She prayed Alex waited until this trip was over before adopting that particular habit.

**3/Terreille**

Alex considered Lilith's sudden change of mind as he stared at the closed door of the bathroom. He wasn't naïve enough to believe that she really agreed with him that this was no big deal. She just didn't want to answer his question. Not if it meant opening the door to the discussion she refused to have with him. And he was pretty sure it would have.

If she thought he might try to coerce her into another night of sex, Lilith didn't need to worry. Three months apart seemed to have quieted that intense feeling he'd had for her in his suite. He hadn't wanted her while they'd been in Tarine's court. Or even today while they were on the road. Alex was sure whatever it was…it was gone now.

As his mind turned over these thoughts, Alex called in a pair of pajamas and changed clothes. He rarely wore them, but tonight would definitely be a good time to make an exception. Unless he wanted to argue with her for another hour or two. Alex was turning down the blankets when Lilith emerged.

Desire roared through him as his eyes swept over her from head to toe. The sleeveless camisole drew his attention first, followed by the loose pants that stopped mid-calf. Both pieces were made of deep blue silk. He swallowed hard and forced himself to glance away.

So much for the lie he'd just been telling himself a moment ago. Alex reminded himself over and over that he didn't want her. And she definitely didn't want him.

Lilith must have seen him looking at her.

"I can't sleep in long sleeves and pants, okay? They bunch up and get all twisted around. It just bugs me. So let's just not make a big deal about it and go to sleep."

"I didn't say anything."

"And let's keep it that way."

"Fine," he replied with a shrug.

He pretended to have some reason to turn back to his things on the far side of the room until she'd climbed into bed. Then Alex doused the witchlight and got in beside her. He'd try thinking of something else, and hope that he could ignore the craving to hold her again. And maybe the sun would shine in Hell tomorrow.

To keep himself distracted, Alex thought about their conversations about Kaeleer today. What could he have been if he'd lived there his whole life? Could he have silenced the viciously cold…something…that lurked in him if he hadn't been taken to Draega? Or at least to have a better mastery of it.

After what almost happened in Tarine's court, he feared what he might do in Kaeleer if anyone provoked him the wrong way. Lilith had been able to help pull him away from that edge then. But Alex got the impression she wasn't around much in Kaeleer. When she wasn't around, what would happen then? Even if she was there, it wasn't a guarantee he'd respond the next time.

Those thoughts chased themselves around his head for a while. Lilith fell asleep, and Alex was grateful she'd kept her distance. If she wasn't so distant, he wasn't sure his control would hold. The last thing he needed to do was make another mistake.

"What are you doing here?"

Alex turned towards Lilith, startled. Not just that she'd spoken…but that the words she'd spoken weren't the common tongue or even Hayllian. They were in the Old Tongue. The true language of the Blood. No one in Hayll spoke it anymore, and if not for the ancient books he'd found tucked away in the library, neither would he.

He'd hoarded the books away in his suite, studying them for centuries. Even after all that time, he only knew the basics of the language. Definitely never heard any of it pronounced. But despite the archaic bent Lilith gave to the words, Alex was able to follow what she'd said.

That didn't explain why she was speaking the Old Tongue at all. Unless it was still widely spoken in Kaeleer.

"What do you mean?" he answered.

"Daeniel, what are you doing here?" she repeated, this time more frantic. "You shouldn't be here today."

"Lilith, no one's here but us."

Alex realized belatedly that she must be having a dream. She didn't hear him, continuing to talk to herself.

"I don't understand. You said you wanted the Court…all of you insisted it was what you wanted. I didn't want to do this. I did it for you."

A Court? From what he knew of Lilith, hearing that she had one came as a surprise. The Protocol books were very clear about the responsibilities of a Queen when she held a court. Lilith didn't strike him as someone who would abandon those duties for months at a time when she came to Draega.

Not to mention she didn't seem the kind of witch who would tolerate all the male attention that came with a First Circle. It was all very confusing. Especially when combined with the use of the Old Tongue. But his thoughts were interrupted when she spoke again.

"If you don't want the court, then I'll break it. The others will be free and we could…" She paused, as if interrupted. When she spoke again, her voice was rough and uneven. "But…I thought…you said that you and me…"

Okay, this was not just a dream. And it was going to stop right now. Alex reached out to touch her shoulder, intending to shake her awake.

"No, you can't! I won't." She wrenched her shoulder from under his grasp.

"You don't really want to, anyway. You just said so. You want her- not me. _Her_ court. _Her_ bed." She shook and trembled.

"All of you lied. You just wanted to use my Jewels to do what none of you could. Everyone knew it but me. Lorn, Weaver…all of you. Nothing but a tool with a purpose. And now that it's done, you don't want me anymore."

The pain in her voice was brutal. Whoever this Daeniel person was, he'd left deep scars behind. Now things about her were starting to make sense, especially how she'd acted in Draega. Rejection like that would be crippling to her self-confidence.

"W…what do you mean, just one last thing?" Lilith's question brought him back to the present.

"Daeniel, there's nothing more to say or do. We should just consider the court broken and be done with it." Alex felt her tense up beside him as a moment of silent passed. He jumped when she let out a startled cry.

"Daeniel, _stop_. You're scaring me!"

Only an idiot would have misunderstood her. Alex swore and put an Ebon-Gray aural shield around the room, like he should have done from the beginning. This could get a lot uglier, and the last thing they needed was any uninvited guests. Only then did he try to rouse her out of the nightmare.

"Daeniel, no! You can't! Please, I'll let you all go and I'll disappear. Just don't do this!"

Lilith began screaming and thrashing, still crying out brokenly in the Old Tongue. All the blankets got tangled up around her limbs as she fought. He tried several times to wake her up, but it just added to her nightmare. Every touch fueled the pain and terror in her mind.

So he pulled back and watched helplessly as Lilith relived some memory- or whatever this was. It was selfish, but he thanked the Darkness that his fluency in the Old Tongue wasn't as good as hers, because her cries reached a desperate pitch that was almost unbearable even without translation.

The ordeal went on for hours, until at last her voice became hoarse from all the screaming. When it was over, Lilith was sobbing, curled into a ball.

"I wasn't going to hurt you- would never have hurt you. You should have just killed me. Not this. What good am I if I'm cut off from my Craft and the Abyss?"

She keened a terrible note of pain and wept.

Mother Night. What the hell had just happened? Alex knew plenty of nightmares. In particular, he knew the difference between a nightmare, and a dream that relived a nightmare. What Lilith had gone through was of the second kind.

But it made no sense to him. He knew first hand that Lilith had been a virgin three months ago. So that threw out his theory that she'd met Daeniel before they met. On the other hand, she wasn't broken. So when the hell did this happen?

He waited for a while before he found the courage to try waking her again.

"Lilith?"

She stiffened beside him. "So they sent _you_ now that they're finished. Are you going to do what they couldn't? Are you here to kill me?"

"No," he answered, even though he knew she couldn't hear him.

"Of course you won't. I should have known you were no different than the rest of them."

Alex wasn't sure what that meant. Obviously she was seeing him as someone else instead of Daeniel. Just who he was now, he didn't know. Maybe she could tell him if he kept digging. That is, if he could stomach the answers.

"Why wouldn't I be different?"

"You're just like them, Thaene- you're here to gloat at your victory. Are you satisfied to see how they left me- an empty shell?"

"Lilith…"

"Or do you need to find some other way to punish me?"

"I'm not here to punish you."

"Oh no, none of you see it that way," she replied bitingly. "You call it a necessary precaution- crush the power that you can't control. All because I was the witch you _needed_ instead of the witch you wanted."

Alex struggled to follow her words, since she was still using the Old Tongue. He was having a harder time keeping from reverting to the common tongue.

"And what was that?"

"You dreamed of a witch who'd unite the Blood and give you a guide to understanding our power. But you didn't like that she was strong and wouldn't set down the rules you wanted. I did what was best for all of us- not just some of us."

An eerie shiver came over him as soon as he could puzzle out the words. Alex didn't quite know what Lilith meant by them, but it felt ominous. Almost like he ought to know. He asked, anyway.

"What are you?"

She gave a broken, bitter laugh. "What was I, you mean. The Weavers called me a dream- caught and spun into flesh to walk the Realms. But what does that matter- I'm a broken dream now."

Alex's heart stumbled and missed a beat. He'd read about the Weavers and their tangled webs. Witch. Lilith was telling him she was Witch. It couldn't be. None of this could be as she said.

"It's not true, Lilith. It can't be."

"You think I'm a liar."

"Not a liar- just mistaken. You think you're broken, but you're not. You're just a witch. Don't you remember rescuing me three months ago in Draega?"

"What's Draega?"

_Oh this can't be good_, he thought with a sinking feeling.

"It's the capital city of the territory Hayll here in Terreille, don't you know that?"

"Now who's crazy? There are no cities, or Hayll for that matter. We've only just begun the expansion of the Keep here in Askavi. The rest are just towns and scattered settlements."

The wheels began turning in his mind. Maybe there was a way to make sense of all this. If Hayll didn't exist for the Lilith in the dream, then this wasn't a memory in the past. She was a memory from a different lifetime.

Alex had found other ancient texts in Meredith's library other than the ones on the Old Tongue. In one of them, he'd read about a rare circumstance where the Blood walked the Realms more than once. After they'd rested in the Darkness long enough, they would return again.

It had seemed unlikely at the time. Something people had told their children to ease the loss of a family member. But he'd thought the Kindred weren't real, either, and look at how that turned out. Alex had to admit this was the only option that would explain what just happened.

And if that were true, Lilith had walked the Realms before. Not just as any witch- as Witch. The living myth and the most cherished dream of the Blood. But from the nightmare he'd just seen, not everyone felt that way. But how had this Daeniel managed to overpower her in the first place? Alex had always imagined Witch had greater power than anyone in the Blood.

"Why didn't you fight him," he asked her.

"Them," she corrected. "The whole First Circle- minus one exception."

Alex felt ill, but he thought he knew who the exception might have been. So he asked.

"Everyone but me."

"Your guess is as good as mine why they left you out of the fun."

"None of this strikes me as anything 'fun', Lilith."

"The rest of your brothers seemed to have a good enough time."

"You still haven't answered my question, though. Why didn't you fight them?"

"Nothing to fight with- as everyone well knew. I'd already drained my Jewels for my moontime."

Yes, Alex should have known. A witch's moontime was the ideal chance a male had to attack her. Not only was she fighting him, but her own body as well. The picture was becoming very clear to him what these men had put her through.

"You're right," he replied after a pause. "So what happens now?"

"I expect I'll be kept here until I die, used however it suits my former Court. I'll watch them pretend serve a witch they want as their Queen instead of me."

Now Lilith paused. "Unless you change your mind and kill me."

"I can't do that."

Even as he gave her the answer, Alex almost hoped that the Warlord he was pretending to be in her dream had answered differently. It was a horrible thing to wish, but when faced with the alternative, death would have been the lesser of two evils.

Lilith said nothing after that, and eventually fell into a deep sleep. Thank the Darkness, without dreams. Alex stared at her for a long time, thinking. He began putting pieces together, filling in some of the 'holes' in what he knew about the witch named Lilith. If she retained any memories of these nightmares- or the past life they came from- he understood why she would be so determined not to have a Virgin Night.

The scars left behind after that experience would make it difficult to trust anyone again. Alex would know that firsthand. The hell Meredith had put him through wasn't quite the same, but the scars left behind were just as painful. It only convinced him all the more that if not for the _safframate_, she never would have agreed.

Guilt nipped at his conscience again. Maybe Lilith didn't remember these nightmares after she woke up. Maybe she did. But either way, only one piece mattered to Alex. She'd said she trusted him.

Did she really? If so, Alex didn't feel like he deserved it. Even if he hadn't tortured or broken her, he'd definitely hurt her. Until he managed to ask Lilith for an answer either way, he couldn't quite say with the same certainty that what he had done didn't cross the fine line from persuasion into rape.

How could he bring that up now that he knew about the nightmares? A question he didn't know how to answer. But Mother Night, he hoped that Lilith never recalled any of these memories in the light of day.


	22. Chapter 21: Kindred and Keep

**1/Terreille**

Morning jarred her awake, and Lilith greeted it with a blurry stare of irritation. As predicted she'd had the nightmare again. The past haunting her present. For centuries, it had been only an occasional night here and there. But ever since that night with Alex, the dreams of Daeniel and her first Court had become a reoccurring ritual.

Last night had been the worst- and strangest- dream yet. It started out the same, just more vivid than usual. But when Thaene came in at the end, things changed. He was still asking questions- they just weren't the same ones as he'd always asked before. It was like he didn't know what the others had planned to do.

None of it made sense. So Lilith tried to push those thoughts of out of her head. Today was not the day to deal with something that happened to her a lifetime ago. And she certainly didn't want to feed that voice in her head reminding her of the subtle warning signs she'd missed with that first court. The voice whispering that she'd missed them again.

Tonight, she was going to make damned certain not to repeat this experience. They could be at Askavi's Keep by sundown, and cross into Kaeleer soon after. Lilith could hand him over to 'Nelle and be on her way. That was the plan, anyway. The SaDiablo males would likely have something to say about it.

At that thought, Lilith found herself getting out of bed. If she planned to accomplish all that, they needed to get moving soon. Alex sat up and glared at her.

"Why are you up at this hour? It's not even full light out."

"We have a long ride to the Keep to make it by sunset."

"What's the difference with getting another hour's sleep? Who cares if we arrive in the dark?"

"I'm up and so are you. Why waste time?"

"I'm only up because you woke me. If you'd stayed in bed like a sane person, we'd both be asleep."

"Well, I'm sorry my sleep schedule interferes with yours, Prince. If we're ever travelling together again, I'll see if I can plan for later mornings."

With that, she ignored his dark mutterings and fled to the bathroom to change. Today it would be wise to stick with the leggings and tunic. If she put her hair up and wore a hat, no one would realize she was a witch unless they got close. In Askavi right now, that was the safest plan. She didn't want to use her Jewels unless she had to, and Eyrien males were very confrontational with witches from Hayll in their territory.

Alex was still muttering when she entered the room again. But he'd gotten out of bed and was dressed, so she ignored his mood.

"So, all set for another day?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Sure- if you want to spend tonight in another inn like this one."

He stared at her for several minutes, a closed expression on his face. Lilith stared back.

"By all means, then, let's get moving."

That's what she expected. Alex was more interested in being free of her than taking an easy journey. Good. The feeling was very mutual.

The innkeeper was cleaning the bar when they entered the common room. A few other customers were talking quietly at one of the tables. All of them paused as Lilith crossed the room to the bar. The man looked at her oddly, then at Alex. A hard look stole into his eye as they swept back to her.

"A bit early to be awake. Was the room okay?"

"It was fine," Lilith assured him.

"Hope you slept well enough."

The man's voice was clipped, as if he were holding back something he wanted to say. If they didn't have such a long way to go today, Lilith might have tried to figure out what it was. But she let it go.

"Yes, of course. We have a long journey ahead, and thought we'd get an early start."

"Well, good luck to you, then. Your horses will be out front in a few minutes."

Lilith puzzled over the man's surly behavior. He'd been friendly last night, so what could have changed his mind? Maybe he wasn't a morning person. She shrugged and walked outside. Alex followed silently.

"I'm starting to wonder if everyone in your gender wakes up grumpy this early. First you, and now the innkeeper."

It was hard to read the expression on Alex's borrowed face, but she could tell she'd upset him. This morning, it was proving nearly impossible to figure out males. Meanwhile, Alex chose not to reply, and turned to look out across the town. Whatever he thought of the innkeeper's mood, he didn't want to share the opinion with her.

Apparently, no one wanted to talk to her today. Fine. She'd give him some space for a while and try again later. So they stood in silence until the horses were brought out to them.

The silence continued for most of the morning. Alex chose to call in the book she'd given him, and read most of the way. Just as well, since Lilith really didn't want to talk about last night. She should have insisted on sleeping in the chair. Between the nightmare and his attitude, they would have been better off.

*Your mate is unhappy?*

Lilith started at the sudden message from the horse beneath her. He hadn't spoken to her yesterday, their communications mostly dealing with surface moods and feelings. But he must have been motivated enough to say something today. Lilith thought it was a good idea to clear up one misunderstanding right now.

*He's not my mate*

The horse whuffled loudly. *Yes mate*

*I know what it looks like, but we're not mates*

*Not what looks like- what is*

Just her luck- another stubborn male. She switched subjects, hoping to derail the whole issue of who was or wasn't a mate. *Why do you think he's upset, anyway?*

*Not stupid*

*I didn't say that, did I?*

*Aster can't make him talk- or listen*

Oh Mother Night, they were trying to talk to him. If one of the horses mentioned the business about being mates to Alex, this trip was going to get a lot more awkward.

*He's not trained- hasn't had any experience with Kindred*

*Should learn*

*Agreed, but there's a lot to teach him today*

*Should teach him this* the horse insisted. *Needs someone to talk to*

*Who does* she asked in bemusement. *Aster or the Prince?*

*Both- like us*

*Well, I suppose I shouldn't argue, then* She paused. *I forgot to ask yesterday. What do I call you?*

*Windsmoke*

*Windsmoke* she repeated. *Well, I guess now I'll have to figure out a way to teach the Prince to understand Kindred. But I can't make any promises that it'll do any good. He might not understand*

No easy task, that's for sure. Lilith really wasn't in the mood to talk to him yet this morning, but the sooner she did this, the sooner she'd make Windsmoke happy. Hell, maybe he was right, and having Alex talk to Aster might help his mood. It would be an education for him, if nothing else. But that still didn't mean she was looking forward to this. Lilith squeezed her eyes closed, trying to ward off an oncoming migraine.

"What's wrong?" Alex asked, setting the book aside.

"Nothing."

"You're not a very good liar, you know."

Actually, she was an excellent teller of fibs and such most of the time. But most of the time didn't happen when she was around him. Lilith tossed him a wan smile.

"Windsmoke thinks I've neglected to train you properly, since Aster has been trying unsuccessfully to talk with you all morning."

"Come again?"

"Psychic threads. The Kindred use them just as much as we do, but the connection is a little different. Apparently, you haven't been picking up on Aster's attempts all morning, and it's my job to fix it."

"Aster- that's the horse I'm riding?"

"Yes."

He glanced down at the mare beneath him and seemed to puzzle over the idea that he could talk to her. Yesterday's brief conversation about the Kindred hadn't really sunk in yet. This would definitely be an education for him. Lilith decided 'Nelle's explanation would work best.

"Okay, think of it like the road ahead of us," she said, gesturing to the wide dirt road. They'd long left the forest behind, and had come to the outskirts of a small village.

"We're on the main road. That hedgerow screens the private lanes on the other side. So to use the main road, they have openings in the hedges- see?"

"I guess."

"The road is our shared space- where the human Blood all send our thoughts on psychic threads. There are so many of us that it's a well-worn path," she said with a pause.

"The Kindred send their thoughts on the more private paths on the other side of the hedgerow- a wilder, less travelled place. Humans can sense it there, but need to find one of the gaps in order to make the sidestep to it."

Alex looked dubious, and Lilith worried she hadn't explained herself very well. She never was that good at doing this without demonstrating it firsthand. But that would mean she'd have to get inside his head- or worse, let him in hers. Not exactly ideal in this case. She sighed, and muttered to Windsmoke.

"See, I told you this was going to be for nothing."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Not you- I was talking to Windsmoke."

*Should try harder* the horse replied.

"I'm trying hard as it is- I'm not as good at explaining this as 'Nelle."

*Could show him- would be easier*

"Oh no- that's not an option."

"What's not an option?"

Dammit, she'd forgotten that she was replying aloud instead of on a psychic thread.

"There, see what trouble you've gotten me into now?"

"Lilith, what isn't an option?"

"Windsmoke thinks it would be easier to show you what I mean, rather than try to explain it."

"I don't follow."

"One of us has to get inside the other's head."

"Inside the other's barriers, you mean."

"That'd be the general idea."

He was silent, thinking. Lilith definitely wanted him nowhere near her barriers. He was close enough as it was. No doubt Alex felt the same. After all he'd suffered under Meredith and the other witches in her coven, the last thing he would want was a witch inside his head. A terrifying prospect, even if she meant him no harm.

And lastly, she didn't want the temptation to discover something she really didn't want to know. Inside his barriers, it would be all too easy to overhear his thoughts about their mishap in Draega. Guessing was bad enough. Lilith had no desire to have her suspicions confirmed.

"Am I going to need to know how to communicate with Kindred like this?" he asked finally.

"Eventually, yeah you will. There are quite a few Kindred living at the Hall besides the cats."

"Then it would be helpful to know how to do it before I get there."

"Helpful, but not necessary," Lilith clarified as quickly as possible. "You could just as easily wait until 'Nelle is able to teach you."

"Or you could teach me now."

Lilith's thoughts stumbled and she gaped at him. Was he crazy? Apparently, Windsmoke didn't think so.

*Your mate shows much sense*

"Oh don't gloat," she snarled at him. "And so help me if you call him that one more time."

"Call me what?"

"Nothing," she replied sharply.

"Now I really think I need to learn how to do this," Alex grumbled at her. "Because I know you're lying, and the only way of proving it is to ask the horse myself."

Oh that wouldn't do at all. Maybe she should reconsider teaching him how to do this. Windsmoke seemed to approve of Alex's idea, and Lilith's anxiety turned to irritation. She glared- first at the horse, then at Alex. Neither was very impressed. Lilith resigned herself to however this would turn out.

"So what are you suggesting we do, Prince?"

"How far in does one need to go to do this?"

"Not far. Like sending a private psychic thread."

"If it's that easy, then why not do it?"

"And who's going to be the one to let the other in? Or were you assuming that it would be me?"

He paled considerably. "No, I wouldn't want to do that. It'd be better the other way around."

Certainly better for her, but she wondered what Alex would find preferable about it. Protecting his mind by exposing hers would make more sense. But she'd let him choose his poison, and since this conversation wasn't going away, she might as well get it over with.

"As you please. It only takes a moment."

Lilith braced herself, and slipped just inside his mental barriers. She kept her own tightly leashed to avoid giving anything away of her own thoughts, while steering clear from anything that might give her access to what might be on his mind.

*Okay, ready?*

*Ready*

She reached for the connection she felt from Aster and held it. With a quick mental shove, she brought Alex across to find it for himself.

*At last! No deaf ears!*

The mare's irritation at the delay was evident. But even that was tempered by her joy that she now had someone else to talk to. Given that she'd probably never met someone before who could hear her, Alex better be prepared to listen all day.

*I don't know how I couldn't hear this before*

*Stubborn*

*Untrained* Lilith corrected.

*Wasted time yesterday*

*Not you as well. I told Windsmoke there's a lot to do*

*Will need to be trained to be a good-*

*Don't you dare finish that thought! Not a single word about that from either of you, understand?*

Lilith could feel Alex's surprise at the ferocity of her temper. She shouldn't have done that, since any feeling she had while inside his mind would be magnified. Not to mention read by him as easily as a grade school primer.

But she'd been terrified that Aster would call him her mate. Linked with Alex as she was right now, she'd die of embarrassment at his reaction. The mare's sullen attitude to her rebuke was plain over their connection, but she ignored it. Alex, in the meantime, must have recovered from his shock.

*How do you break this connection once it's made?*

*It's like jumping through the hedge again* She demonstrated how it worked. *You ought to try for yourself to see if you've got it*

Alex practiced a few times. He was a quick study, and was soon able to connect with both horses without much effort. Lilith was grateful, and fled his mind as fast as she could. Only when she was safely away from him did she breathe a sigh of relief.

"So that's all there is to it, Prince."

He seemed to want to say something, and then thought better of it. They rode in silence for a little while until he asked her an unexpected question.

"Why are you dressed like a man?"

So he'd noticed.

"Askavi has no love for witches from Hayll entering the territory. Most of them wouldn't hesitate long enough to find out that I'm Dhemlan, not Hayllian. I haven't seen any warriors lately, but it would be better if I kept a low profile as much as possible. Best entirely if they assume we're two Warlords. So if we see one, you'll have to do the talking."

"And say what, exactly?"

"You're going to the Keep to do family research and to have them record the birthright Jewels of one of your cousins," Lilith provided without hesitation.

He eyed her shrewdly. "I stand corrected. You can spin a tale quite well."

"It's only stretching the truth a little."

"And what will they say when I tell them the stretched truth, as you call it?"

"Hopefully, something to the point about not overstaying our welcome and nothing more."

"Is it dangerous for you to be here?"

"No more than anywhere else."

Alex was silent for so long that Lilith thought he wasn't going to respond at all. Then he spoke.

"You do a lot of dangerous things, don't you."

"I suppose they are, but they need doing."

"Why can't it be someone else taking the risk?"

"There is no one else, Prince."

**2/Terreille**

He wasn't sure if that should sound ominous or arrogant, but he was troubled either way. Lilith may wear the Ebon-Black, but she wasn't invulnerable. One day she'd take the wrong risk at the wrong time and it would destroy her. She likely knew it, and would do it anyway.

"Is it worth it," he asked her.

"What?"

"Rescuing Draega from itself. Is it worth the risk?"

"Won't know until it's over, I guess," she replied, her words clipped and chilly.

Lilith nudged her horse forward into a steady trot, effectively ending the conversation. Alex had been hoping to get a little more information. He should have just asked outright what he wanted to know.

Was she Witch?

All morning he'd replayed everything he knew so far about her. Her mission in Draega, the way she talked, the secrets she kept. Coupled with that nightmare, Lilith could be Witch. There was no way to know for sure without asking her. But Alex found he couldn't.

With a sigh, Alex changed the direction of his thoughts. Learning how to hear the Kindred came to mind first. Especially how Lilith had taught him. Having her inside his barriers had been an interesting experience. He'd never allowed anyone in before, and certainly not a witch.

Alex had to admit it wasn't what he'd expected. He couldn't even tell she was there. From what he'd heard others say about it, Alex had expected to feel some sort of connection. But the only one he'd felt was when Lilith linked him with Aster. He couldn't decide if he was disappointed or unnerved.

If Lilith could slip in and out like that undetected, she could damage him before he could even react, especially with her wearing the Ebon-Black. Unlikely that she would ever do it, but something he couldn't entirely rule out. So it would have been comforting if he'd been able to sense her in some way.

Instead of sensing nothing. Well, _almost_ nothing. Alex was very interested to find out what Aster was going to say that rattled Lilith that much. Likely it was the same thing Windsmoke had said to her. Something about him.

Whatever it was, Lilith wouldn't tell him. Alex let out a breath heavily.

*You are unhappy?* Aster asked.

Alex tilted his head to look down at the mare, surprised by the unexpected message.

*I suppose so*

*Why unhappy?*

How did he explain something like this to a horse? Did they even understand complex thoughts? Alex had to admit he felt somewhat foolish, but it couldn't do him any harm to try. But as he thought of what he could say, he supposed this really wasn't that complicated. Only one problem stemmed at the root of all others.

*The Lady is unhappy*

*Why?*

*Lots of reasons, I suppose. Mostly my fault*

*Not sure is true- is mad at Windsmoke and me now*

*Yeah, I noticed. What is that about, anyway?*

Aster hesitated and flicked her ears nervously. *Not supposed to tell*

*How mad can she get if you do?*

*Furious- very bad*

Alex could feel the mare's agitation and fear flowing through their connection. Enough to know that no matter how much he prodded, he would never get Aster to tell him what he wanted to know. Another dead end.

*So I'll never know what this is about?*

*Maybe- maybe not. The Lady will decide*

*I might as well forget it, then. She doesn't like to tell me much of anything*

*Like what?*

Alex sighed inwardly and thought of what he wanted most. There were a hundred questions he could think of to ask Lilith. But what did he really want to know?

*If she has any regrets- about me in particular*

*What about?*

Aster's honest curiosity almost tempted him to answer. Alex thought better of it. He didn't want the mare to relay anything to Lilith. So he gave a shrug and said nothing. Aster was not deterred by this lack of reply.

*Must ask her again*

*I haven't asked once* he mused drily. *Either she won't answer me…or worse, she will*

*Can't know until asked*

*That's just it, I guess. I want to know, but only if I'm sure I'll get the answer I want*

He felt the horse's bemusement. Aster shook her mane and whuffled loudly at him.

*Not possible*

*I know*

Sliding back into his own thoughts for a while, Alex tried to concentrate on reading the book Lilith had given him yesterday. The hours passed slowly with nothing but the sound of shod hooves to break the silence. Not once did Lilith revive their conversation.

They stopped around noon to rest the horses at a brook. Alex thought that he might try talking to Lilith then, but she had a drawn, distant look on her face. Aster and Windsmoke seemed just as unhappy, throwing Alex baleful glances from their patch of grass. They expected him to do something, but what?

In the end, he did nothing. They saddled up again and resumed their journey. Alex alternated between reading the Protocol book- not believing half of what he did read- and trying to work up the nerve to talk to Lilith. In the waning evening hours, she finally spoke.

"We're nearly there."

"How much longer?"

"Twenty minutes or so." She paused. "There are some things you need to know before we get there."

"Like what?"

"You asked for more information about your family last night, and I said we'd talk today. Reading that book has likely given you some ideas, but there are some things I really need to explain."

"Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like what you have to say?"

"It's not a matter of liking or not," she replied. "But I can't let you walk into that Keep before it's said, Prince."

"I suppose you might as well get it over with before we lose the rest of our daylight."

Lilith nodded and gathered up the reins.

"I'll start with the most difficult, I guess. Your father…"

Uh oh.

"It's true that he's the Warlord Prince of Dhemlan. But that's not all he is. There's a lot more."

"Like what?"

"He's the High Lord of Hell."

Even though Alex had braced himself, he was still thrown completely off-guard.

"That's not possible. Hell doesn't exist."

"Just like Kaeleer didn't exist?" she asked with a knowing look. "I can guess who told you that lie."

"It can't be true."

"It is, Prince. And the only reason I bring it up now is because I don't know who is going to greet us when we arrive at the Keep. If Daemon Sadi is there, he won't be expecting to see you, and the shock might send him in any direction."

She hesitated before making the decision to continue.

"If he shifts to the High Lord…or the Sadist…let me deal with him."

"The Sadist," Alex hissed through his teeth.

"A familiar name to you, I'm sure."

"Every Blood male in Terreille knows it."

Meredith and her coven made _sure_ every Blood male knew about the Warlord Prince Hayllians had called the Sadist. The reason why no male could be trusted, and why witches used the Ring of Obedience to control them. Alex had many bitter thoughts about the legacy the Sadist had left for the rest of them.

_And now I found out he's my father_. Lilith was right- that was something he needed to know. And apparently, she wasn't finished yet.

"I'll start by saying that the stories are true," she continued. "The Sadist slaughtered more witches than any of us will ever know. He destroyed whole courts in Terreille, and so what you've been told is true…minus one key detail."

"What's that?"

Minutes passed as Alex's question hung between them. Something feral looked out through Lilith's eyes.

"The witches deserved it."

"How can you say that?" He questioned in disbelief. "I can't envision a witch condemning one of her own sisters like that."

"Those women may have been witches, but make no mistake, Prince, they were _not _my sisters." Lilith's tone was frigid as she stared stonily ahead. Then she turned to him suddenly.

"Meredith and the bitches of her coven- would you say they'd deserve it?"

Alex hesitated to answer. His instinct told him they did, but that was the same instinct that had urged him to take Lilith to bed. Knowing how that had turned out, he wasn't so sure he could trust his instincts. But Lilith was waiting expectantly for an answer, and there was only one honest one he could give.

"Yes, they would."

He waited for Lilith to condemn him. She didn't.

"Exactly," she agreed with a nod. "So did Dorothea and Hekatah's Courts. Daemon Sadi only did what a good Warlord Prince does…he eliminated anyone or anything that violates the code of what it means to be Blood."

"Eliminate is one thing, Lilith. What the Sadist did-" what Alex had also done- "went beyond that."

"I know. He administered justice."

She spoke with a sense of finality that stunned him. Mother Night, what kind of witch _was_ she? To think that kind of violence against anyone- even against witches like Meredith- was justice. He thought maybe he'd heard her wrong.

"You approve."

"Yes, I do."

"I don't know what to make of that."

"You'll understand once you see Kaeleer."

Alex sure hoped so. Right now, he felt like he had more questions than answers with every new thing she told him. He dreaded finding out what was next on the list, comforted only by the thought that she'd said she'd started with the most difficult.

"If that was the most difficult thing to tell me, what else is there?"

"Your mother would be next on my list. She's- well, it won't mean much to you right now, but she's a Dea al Mon witch. You'll understand a lot more about that later. But for now…if she's pissed and has a knife- back off. She's one of the greatest assassins Terreille or Kaeleer has ever seen."

Okay that thought didn't sit comfortably. Alex had a hard time wrapping his brain around the idea of a witch as an assassin. Sure, he'd seen plenty of them torture and kill at a whim. But that wasn't the same thing as an assassin. Knowing that it was his mother only made it ten times more difficult.

"Your sister," Lilith continued. "She'll be daunting to describe. 'Nelle is probably the only witch who might be as headstrong and crazy as I am. So I suppose you've gotten good practice for how to deal with her."

Two of them. That was almost enough to have him rethinking the idea of going to Kaeleer. Dealing with the complications of his father and the Sadist. Sure, he could do it. Accepting his mother as an assassin? Piece of cake.

But two witches like Lilith? It was going to take nerves of steel to live with that thought.

"Like me, she's going to know every Jewel you wear unless you mask them with the Ebon-Black. She wears Twilight's Dawn- one Jewel that can be any of the Jewel ranks from Rose to Black. It makes for some interesting ways of using Craft."

Well that explained why she didn't find his Jewels all that strange. If she was used to someone who wore a Jewel like that, he must have seemed almost normal.

"As for your uncle and cousins…they're Eyrien. Do not pick a physical fight with them, because you won't win."

Alex hadn't done much fighting in Hayll. At least not in the physical sense. But he still considered himself to be skilled enough to get things done. He tried not to feel insulted that Lilith thought so little of his chances.

"Lucivar's the Warlord Prince of Askavi Kaeleer. Daemonar and Andulvar are his ambassadors in the provinces, and referee arguments on his behalf. They can be vicious sons of bitches when they need to be," Lilith said with an amused shake of her head.

"But it'll be Titian who eventually turns her father's hair prematurely grey. She made the Blood Run a few years ago with several warriors and I thought the stress would kill him. I wonder sometimes if she thinks she was born a boy instead of a girl. Don't pick a fight with her, either."

When Lilith paused for breath, Alex held up his hand.

"I thought you said a few things."

"That _was_ a few."

The horses stopped. Alex stared up at the immense stone walls of the Keep. It was built right into the rock of the mountainside. There was no telling the size of it on the inside. Mother Night. Lilith took notice of his startled expression.

"I'm guessing you've never seen the Keep before."

"Never left Draega before yesterday."

"Well, before we go in, I'd ditch the illusion."

He shook off the disguise and turned to her.

"Better?"

Instead of answering him, she just moved on to her next instruction.

"You might also want to decide now what Jewels you want to declare- that is, unless you were planning to declare all of them."

"I have to decide now."

"I'd recommend picking at least two now, and finding a more opportune time to disclose the rest later on. But it's up to you."

With a sigh, Alex called in the illusions he used to mask his Jewels. After a few minutes of thinking, he made what he hoped would be the best decision. He vanished the ones for his Ebon-Gray and Ebon-Black Jewels, and keyed the others. Lilith said nothing and nudged Windsmoke onto the drive leading to the gates of the Keep. Alex did the same.

**3/Terreille**

Well, Alex was going to shake things up in Kaeleer. Still, Lilith wasn't surprised at his choice. Those would have been the Jewels she would have picked for him, too. All the better that his family would have some warning of his power as soon as possible.

They left the horses in the stable, and she made her goodbye to Windsmoke. The stable boys here would know how to treat her Kindred friends well, and they would be much happier here than in Hayll. Now it was on to face what lay ahead. She led the way up to the entrance, Alex trailing behind her.

The door to the Keep opened, and she found herself relieved to be facing Geoffrey instead of any of the SaDiablos. As for him, Lilith wasn't surprised to see him nod grimly at her.

"Good evening, Geoffrey."

"Lady Lilith, you're expected."

Hell. That meant 'Nelle hadn't been able to keep it a secret, and all the SaDiablos knew she'd gone to Hayll. Tonight was going to be a long night of yelling.

"I suspected as much."

As she stepped aside to pass into the entrance hall, Geoffrey's eyes widened. In hindsight, she probably should have warned him. A little late to be thinking of that now. She cleared her throat and prepared herself for the first in a long line of explanations she'd be giving this evening.

"It's not what it looks like. I swear Daemon hasn't set foot in Terreille outside the Keep."

"Then who is that?"

"His son. I've come to the Keep to return him to Kaeleer."

She waited in the answering silence, hoping she hadn't given the Guardian a heart attack. Finally, Geoffrey recovered enough to think of a reply.

"But…the child…I was told he died."

"I know."

"What was the Prince doing in Terreille?"

Before Alex could open his mouth to answer, Lilith cut in. "That's something I ought to explain to Prince Sadi first, I think."

Geoffrey was scandalized.

"He doesn't know."

"No, he doesn't. I thought it better to have the Prince safe in Kaeleer before anything was said. Better for everyone."

"So none of them know."

"Just 'Nelle. So I need to get through the gate to the Keep in Kaeleer. Tonight." Lilith paused. "Prince Sadi isn't here in Terreille now, right?"

"No, they're all in the Hall in Kaeleer." He gestured them to come in. "I'll take you through to the Gate."

"My thanks, Geoffrey."

They wound through the Keep. Alex said nothing, and Lilith worried that this was all starting to overwhelm him.

*Prince, you still with us?*

*The power in this place is incredible*

*This is nothing compared to the Keep in Kaeleer*

*I had no idea there were places like this*

*Meredith was very certain to make sure of that- probably why she never let you leave Hayll*

*When can that bitch get what she deserves?*

*Soon- I promise that Hayll will be ready to stand against her soon* Lilith paused. *I just hope I can convince Daemon as well*

Alex looked at her askance. *Is that why you wanted to wait until I was in Kaeleer before you told him where you found me?*

*Yes. I want to make sure there's no reason he thinks he needs to intervene in Terreille over this. And if I'm very lucky, I'll convince him not to obliterate all of Hayll in retaliation for what Meredith has done,* she muttered.

*He would do that?*

*In a heartbeat and without a second thought. Where do you think you get it from?*

**4/Terreille**

Lilith's casual remark caught him by surprise. His father could destroy an entire race without any regret, and she'd seen it as only an inconvenience to be avoided. No horror or fear- just the acceptance that it was part of who he was.

And then she'd said just as casually that it was part of what Alex was, too. She'd already known about that potential for incredible violence. Likely from the very first day they met. Was she just crazy, or was it something else about Kaeleer that was different from Terreille?

He decided he'd wait to ask those questions to someone else. Preferably, someone male. So far he'd only heard explanations from the female point of view. Alex felt that the sooner he talked to the males living there, the better. Maybe, they'd be able to make sense out of all of this.

At last, they reached the Gate. He watched silently as the Warlord who'd met them lit several black candles. Something was strange about his psychic scent. Alex couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

*There's something different about him*

*He's a Guardian, straddling the line between living and dead. He's been the Keep's librarian and historian for almost as long as it has stood*

Old enough to know who she'd been once? That was something Alex would keep in mind. If Geoffrey knew her both as she was now and then, he might be useful for information about her. For now, he just filed that away. The Gate was open, and it was time to see the end of this journey. He gestured to Lilith.

"After you, Lady."

She turned to Geoffrey with a final look. "If he doesn't step through in two minutes, give him a shove, would you?" Then she took a few steps and disappeared.

Alex threw a look of indignation to the other man.

"Is she always like that?"

"I'd suggest getting used to it, Prince. The rest of them have, to some extent."

"I don't know if I should be worried or relieved to hear that it's not just me."

A smile didn't crack the Guardian's blood red lips, but amusement darted in his black eyes. Alex sighed and stepped through the gate. Lilith was waiting on the other side. And at first, he didn't think anything had actually happened. He confessed it was hard to believe that anyone could cross realms with only a few steps.

Then he felt it- an unmistakable change in the air. Mother Night. Lilith had been right. The Keep in Terreille had been nothing compared to the power he felt here.

"Just what lives in this place to give it such an air of power?" he asked.

"That's probably better answered another day."

"Uh huh, so what do we do now?"

"We start what will be a very long night. I'll tell 'Nelle you're here and she'll find some way to tell Daemon. And then they'll be here, wanting answers."

That didn't sound like fun, but Alex suspected most of the furor would be directed at her. At least from the look on her face.


	23. Chapter 22: Kaeleer Reunion

**1/Kaeleer**

Daemon glanced out the window at the darkening sky and tried not to snarl in frustration. Another day had come and gone- still no word from Draca about the damned Gate. The waiting had made tempers in the Hall very short. Especially his.

As soon as he'd returned from the Keep yesterday, he'd prodded 'Nelle with more questions about what Lilith was doing in Hayll. None of those questions met with any success. She and the cats were utterly silent. He wondered again what terrible secret they were hiding.

"So just how long are we going to sit here on our asses doing nothing," Lucivar complained.

"As long as it takes," Daemon replied.

"You could at least let down the shields in the Hall."

He just stared at his brother for a long minute.

"And why would I even consider doing that?"

"Because even you have to admit this is going too far. So one Dhemlan witch is crazy enough to sneak into Hayll when your back is turned. That doesn't mean anyone else is dumb enough to make the same mistake."

Surreal stood up from where she'd been sitting next to Jaenelle Saetien on the couch. She looked cautious and concerned at the same time.

"Please, Sadi. All we're asking for is a little breathing room. No one is going anywhere," she insisted, giving their daughter a pointed look.

Jaenelle nodded, although Daemon saw her heave a reluctant sigh first. He considered the request and forced himself to admit that he was being unreasonable. Draca could have meant anything by her definition of 'soon', and he couldn't just keep Lucivar here at the Hall for the duration. He was needed in Askavi.

So he unkeyed the spell shielding the Hall, letting it rest again. For now. When and if Lilith returned, Daemon knew he might change his mind.

"Thank you, Papa," Jaenelle said, still perched on the edge of the couch.

"Don't make me regret it, witch-child."

"She won't," both Surreal and Lucivar chorused.

That settled, the tension in the room seemed to fade somewhat. His brother looked caught between the idea of going back to Ebon Rih and staying put until this thing about Lilith was resolved. Typical Eyrien prick. The second he doesn't _have_ to be somewhere, he decides to stick around.

Daemon was about to say something about it when his attention caught on Jaenelle Saetien. Relief blossomed like spring flowers across her face, and she smiled for the first time in three months.

"Something you'd like to share with the rest of us, witch-child?"

The smile quickly withered, but couldn't fade away completely. It was back in moments. She stood up and clasped her hands together, laughing to herself.

"She's back," Jaenelle said happily. "Lilith's finally back."

Haedyn and Taenne stopped pacing to stare hopefully at her. Daemon did a quick sweep of the Hall to check for a Sapphire Jewel. Finding none, he gave Jaenelle a sharp look.

"And where exactly is she now, witch-child?"

"The Keep. She's staying at the Keep."

Daemon swore that he heard her add something under her breath, but he wasn't able to make out all the words clearly.

"Well then, I think it's time to go meet the Lady and see what was so important that she'd disobey the laws of her home Territory over it."

"Papa…"

"And you'd better hope I agree with her, or I promise you that I _will_ uphold the punishment. Friend or not."

Daemon turned on his heel and was almost to the door when a sideways look from Surreal caught his attention. She motioned that he should turn back. Annoyed at the delay, he glanced over his shoulder to see what was the matter now.

Jaenelle Saetien hadn't moved, as if rooted to the spot. Her eyebrows were drawn together, expression intense. She unclasped her hands and gestured towards him.

"Papa, I know why Lilith went to Draega."

"And so does Lilith. At this point, I want to hear it from her, Jaenelle."

"I need to tell you what I know first," she insisted.

_Why in the name of Hell is Jaenelle Saetien suddenly so eager to give answers now?_ Daemon was baffled by his daughter's odd behavior. But this seemed to be very important to her, so they might as well see what she had to say.

"All right, witch-child. What do you know?"

Jaenelle took a deep breath and let it out again, obviously working up the nerve to give her explanation.

"She went into Terreille to bring someone back to Kaeleer- someone who belonged here and not there. She was pretty sure she could do it, but made me promise that I wouldn't say anything to anybody until she got back."

"Smart thinking," Lucivar muttered. "Or we would have stopped her."

Jaenelle Saetien shook her head. "No, that's not why." She paused. "Okay, not the whole reason why. I think she was more concerned that you would have insisted on going instead. Or worse."

No one seemed quite sure how to respond. Daemon ignored the prickling feeling at the nape of his neck and asked the question on everyone's mind.

"Who was she going to rescue, Jaenelle Saetien?"

One beat passed. Then two.

"My little brother."

The stunned silence in the room was deafening. Daemon felt as if he'd been gutted. He hadn't allowed himself to think of the son he and Surreal had lost centuries ago. Next to losing his Queen and his father, it had been the single most painful day of his life.

They never tried to have another child after that. The loss had been too much to risk it again. He and Surreal had simply tried to put the memory behind them- tried to accept that their son wasn't meant to live. How could it be, then, that Jaenelle Saetien was telling him that their son was alive- and had been in Hayll of all places?

"How…"

"I've told you all I know," Jaenelle said hurriedly. "Lilith knows the rest of it, but I had to be the one to warn you before we got to the Keep and…"

"She's with him at the Keep," Daemon interrupted her, slightly dazed.

"Yes, Papa. She went to the Keep because it was the best place for explanations."

"We're leaving," he said as soon as his voice was steady. "Surreal. Lucivar. You're coming, too."

**2/Kaeleer**

Lilith paced the room, nerves making it impossible to sit still. 'Nelle had said that they were coming. Daemon, Lucivar and Surreal would be with her. And as she expected, they wanted answers. Would she be able to satisfy them? Not too much time before she found out. No doubt Daemon would have them in a coach riding the Black Winds. She guessed they would be here…

"Lilith!"

Now. She turned to see 'Nelle at the door. It was time to use something she'd heard Daemon call 'balls and sass' to get through the rest of tonight. Lilith gave her friend a casual shrug and a smile.

"Hey 'Nelle, I'm back. As promised."

"You promised to be back months ago."

"I'm aware of the timing, and you can go ahead and be mad at me over it. But things got…complicated."

'Nelle tipped her head and studied her with narrowed eyes. "Complicated?"

"Not as big a deal as it sounds. Especially since I made it back just fine."

Her friend did not look entirely convinced, but didn't question Lilith about what was complicated. Instead, she craned her neck to peer at Alex, who was sitting in one of the chairs with an irritating level of self-control. Not surprisingly, she was dumbstruck.

"Mother Night and may the Darkness be merciful. He's…Lilith, you weren't kidding. I almost didn't believe that you'd been telling me the truth, but there's no doubt he is who you say."

"'Nelle, you have no idea how right you are." Lilith paused. "You already told them why I went?"

"Yes, I already warned him," she said with a nod.

"How long do I have before the rest of them are here?"

By way of an answer, 'Nelle side-stepped to let the others inside. Daemon zeroed in on her first, and by the chilling look in his eye, he was irate. Great. Lucivar looked like he was ready to rip the room apart. Perfect. Lilith squared her shoulders and prepared to do battle, but Daemon had to speak first.

"Three months- three months in Draega of all places. What did you think you were doing, witchling?" The words were calm, but the tone behind it held a distinct whisper of rage. Lilith hoped she wasn't going to tip him over the edge.

"Who else was going to go, Prince Sadi? Certainly none of you. I was the logical choice."

"Do you have any idea what they do to witches in Draega?"

"It's hard not to notice."

"And you never thought it could happen to you?"

Lilith resisted the instinct to blush, thinking about what did happen to her. This was not the time to explain any of that. She sighed heavily, hoping to gain a moment to compose her thoughts. Whatever she said next had to derail him from the topic or they'd never get through this night.

That's when she felt the chill rising from behind her. Oh hell's fire. Now Alex was getting pissy as well.

"Can we do the snap and snarl thing later? That's not really why we're all here right now."

Daemon relented. She had no doubt that he was pretty pissed off at her for being in Draega, but that had little to do with why he was so focused on it now. It was a way to distract himself from what she expected was a terrifying meeting for him.

Best get it over with. She cleared her throat and stepped aside so they could see one another. Daemon's eyes widened in shock.

"As I think 'Nelle told you…I had a very good reason to take the risk. I went to Draega to bring back someone who didn't belong there. And I have. Prince Alexander DeSade. Your son."

"Mother Night," she heard Surreal whisper.

It was the only thing anyone said for several minutes. So when enough awkward silence passed, Lilith gave 'Nelle a mental shove.

*Since you neglected to bring any of the Scelties to ask all the annoying questions at the right times, I'm going to need your help with this*

*I think it's the appearance. It's like looking at himself almost two millennia in the past*

*I'm hoping the shock wears off fast, because your brother has more in common with Daemon than looks, and he's going to need someone to talk to*

She felt 'Nelle's dismay keenly over their link. *I guess it was foolish of me to think that when you said you'd rescue him, you really meant you were snatching him away from a loving family in Hayll*

*By a long shot* Lilith replied drily. *Now what are we going to do?*

*I'll think of something*

Before 'Nelle could set any brilliant plan in action, Daemon found his voice.

"I don't even know where to start."

"I'm sure Lilith does, Papa, if you ask her."

She threw 'Nelle a dark look. That wasn't exactly what she had in mind when she'd asked for help. All eyes turned towards Lilith, waiting. Crap. She rubbed her hands together nervously and exhaled. Time for the dance.

"I guess it's a little late now to try to hide the fact that I've been spying on things in Hayll- Draega in particular. No need to bother with how long. Let's just say a long while."

Both Daemon and Lucivar were about to object, but she launched into her explanation.

"Several months ago, I found a way into Meredith's court as part of something I was working on- and no, I'm not going to talk about what it was. The important point is that while I was there, I saw the Prince."

Oh the look on Daemon's face. Her heart went out to him, because she knew he understood what _wasn't_ being said about why his son needed to be rescued. Best keep this moving before he dwelled on that thought too much.

"Obviously, I was…well, surprised doesn't begin to cover it, I suppose. So I abandoned my original plan and spent a day or two eavesdropping on the coven for information. That's when I learned how the Prince came to be in Hayll."

"And how was that?"

Lilith resisted the urge to wince at the ice in Daemon's question. It hinted at the rage he was trying to hide. The wrong answer and it would unleash over all of them.

"Meredith sent one of her chosen coven bitches here in disguise. The Black Widow, Valinna, used illusion spells and other methods to disguise her well enough that she could pass as a serving maid here in the Hall.

"The details of how she got into the room with the Prince were a little fuzzy, but my understanding was that she worked a compulsion spell on one of the Healers, who switched your son with a corpse.

"While the Healer presented you with what you thought was your stillborn son, Meredith's bitch made off with the real baby as fast as she could for Hayll. As you can imagine, Meredith thought she'd never be discovered because she never expected any of you to step foot in Hayll again."

"And for a long time, she was right," Lucivar snarled. "That's going to change soon."

"It absolutely will not," Lilith argued.

"Who says so?"

"I do."

Four people stared at her incredulously. Lilith supposed that she deserved that. But she meant it. None of them were going into Hayll while she was still breathing.

"Anyway," she continued in the answering silence. "I had no plan at the time for sneaking the Prince out of Hayll, or anything prepared for that sort of thing. So I left a…" she hesitated when she realized that she was about to say something she shouldn't.

"Left what?"

Damn, too late to put that back in its box. She'd just have to deal with the consequences of this mistake, too. Unless…she glanced at 'Nelle hopefully.

"I left a Shadow to pose as me for a few days while I came back to Kaeleer. I wanted to talk to 'Nelle about what I'd seen."

"And just who created the Shadow, witchling?"

Lilith glanced meaningfully at her friend, but to no avail. If she was hoping 'Nelle would lie for her, she was mistaken. So much for that idea. Now there was no way to explain that bit of Craft away without revealing what she was.

"I did."

"Sugar, you're many things, but a Black Widow isn't one of them."

Lilith turned to Surreal and shrugged. "How are you sure?"

"Are you?" Daemon asked ominously.

"Yes."

"A natural Black Widow?"

Lilith sighed reluctantly. "Yes."

Daemon turned to 'Nelle with a hard look.

"I'm guessing you knew about this."

"Papa…"

"Witch-child, answer me."

"I knew."

Oh yeah, this was real fun. Daemon and Lucivar looked ready to roast both of them on the spot. 'Nelle was staring at her shoes, and Lilith was doing her best not to do the same. It was all the more embarrassing since Alex was here to watch her getting read the riot act. If he'd been looking for proof that Kaeleer males were allowed to assert themselves, she couldn't have provided a better opportunity.

"And who's been teaching you in the Hourglass Craft, Lady?"

Oh no, that was not something she was going to answer. The last thing she wanted to tell Daemon was that she'd been taking lessons from Weaver.

"Can't we talk about that another day and get back on the subject?"

"I think we'll decide what the subject is," Lucivar drawled. "Since you're finally giving us answers."

*Back me up here 'Nelle, or this is going to get very uncomfortable*

*I'll try*

Lilith cleared her throat and strove for a look that made the half-truth she was about to tell them sound believable.

"I was learning from 'Nelle, and sometimes I'd go with her when she went to see Tersa."

The Warlord Princes pinned a look on 'Nelle.

"Witch-child?"

"It's true, Papa. Whenever Lilith comes to visit, we spend time practicing."

And it was true…it just conveniently left out that sometimes Lilith was the one doing the teaching. They looked skeptical, but in the end, no one called her out as a liar. Daemon did have a look that promised trouble for her, though. He prodded with another rebuttal.

"So that was enough training to weave a Shadow that could fool Meredith and her coven?"

"They don't pay much attention to servants when they're flesh and blood people. I doubt any of them had any reason to look twice at it while I was away."

"We'll have to see one of these Shadows you can create when this is over," he replied ominously.

Well, that'd be a worry for another day. But one avoided for the time being. So Lilith continued with her telling of how she got Alex out of Hayll.

"I guess so. If we can move on, though. 'Nelle and I agreed what needed done, and I hurried back to Hayll."

"Without telling any of us what you were planning."

It was like wandering lost in a labyrinth. Every time she thought she'd found a straight path, she'd turn a corner and hit another hedge blocking her way forward. She sighed in exasperation.

"Yes. And if given a choice to do it over, I'd still do it that way."

"Why?"

That from Daemon, and she heard the warning in his voice telling her to be cautious.

"That tone is exactly why," she said, waving a hand in his direction. "I needed to get him-" she pointed at Alex- "out of Hayll and do it with both still in one piece."

Lilith was so worked up that she couldn't stand still, and paced the floor. As she talked, she kept running her fingers through her hair.

"If you'd gone, not a stone would be left of Draega or the Hayllian race in Terreille. And that's the _best_ scenario for what could have happened. I won't even speak of what could have been the _worst_."

She paused for a moment to let him think on that before she continued. Lilith prayed that Daemon would come to his senses and accept that he could not have gone to Hayll to do this. No matter how much he might want to believe otherwise.

When Daemon didn't argue her point, Lilith breathed a sigh of relief. Although it was short-lived. She'd come to the crucial point in the story. Daemon and the rest of the SaDiablos might want an explanation, but Lilith thought it would be better to gloss over just how she got Alex away from Meredith. Tonight was not the night for details if she could help it.

"So I went, changed places with the Shadow, and waited for an opportunity for us to make a break for it. As you can see, my plan was successful and now we're here."

"And that took three months."

Crap. Apparently, they weren't going to make it that easy for her to wiggle out of an explanation. There was no good way to smooth over that detail. But Lilith knew better than to lie outright.

"Okay, it only took a week."

"Then explain how you didn't arrive back in Kaeleer for another three months."

Lilith was at a loss for words. It's not like she could just say to Daemon that she'd had an unhappy sexual encounter with his son as part of her not so brilliantly executed plan. Oh and by the way, those three months were spent waiting for Alex to get over it sufficiently to make the journey.

Yeah, that would go over well. But what else could she say?

**3/Kaeleer**

Alex could see Lilith wasn't going to have a tidy answer to that question. She'd done very well up to this point making the whole thing sound like no big deal. Very vague on the details, especially their escape from Meredith's court. And maybe he ought to be grateful, since he really didn't want to discuss them with anyone before he and Lilith finally did.

It was already awkward enough. Hell's fire, why hadn't Lilith warned him that he was the exact image of his father? Okay, so he'd guessed that they were similar based on the reaction of the Guardian at the Keep in Terreille. But it was like staring into a living mirror. Alex could have done without that shock.

As the minutes passed without an answer from Lilith, Alex decided to supply one of his own. After all, this was as much his story as it was hers.

"That was my fault."

Lilith glanced at him in alarm. Everyone else was merely startled, as if they hadn't quite expected him to be real. At least now they'd stopped staring at Lilith. Of course, that meant now they were waiting for him to provide an explanation.

"I needed time to decide if coming to Kaeleer was what I really wanted to do."

It was the same excuse he'd given to Lilith in Draega three months ago. A truth that was also a lie. Alex watched as his family accepted the truth. And as he expected, Lilith heard only the lie. She'd looked away as quickly as possible.

'Nelle caught sight of the exchange out of the corner of her eye. Even though she didn't say anything about it, she did give him a puzzled look. He'd worry about that later. For now, he had to focus on what he wanted to say- and not say- about the past three months in Draega.

"I stayed in Draega to see what it had to offer. And to see if I wanted what it had to offer me."

"What did it offer?" Daemon asked.

Lilith's expression was closed, but Alex could tell that she was worried he'd tell the SaDiablos about Tarine and the other Queens she'd been helping in Draega. He imagined that the yelling he'd seen so far would be nothing if he told them anything about it. And as much as he'd like to see her lose an argument with someone male, this was not the time for it.

"A place to think, mostly. To observe parts of the city I hadn't seen before without any of demands on my time."

Or on anything else. Alex didn't say it, but everyone else in the room heard it anyway. He could see it in their eyes. They already knew what he'd had to do in Meredith's court. It left him feeling painfully exposed, and so he lashed out at Lilith.

*Dammit, what did you tell them about me*

*Tell them about what?*

*When you sent your little message off to my sister, what exactly did you tell her?*

*I told her that I was at the Keep and you were with me*

*You damn well had to have said something else*

*What are you _talking _about?*

*Just look at them. They all know about what I went through in Meredith's court. How else could they have known if you didn't tell them somehow? I sure as hell haven't said anything*

*Prince, they know because they know what kind of witch Meredith is* Lilith sent back to him, her tone clipped and angry. *They don't need me to tell them anything*

*And I'm to believe that why?*

*Think about it, Prince. Daemon is the High Lord of Hell. Meredith and her bitches rarely finish a kill, and what's left of their victims end up in there as one of the demon-dead. Who do you think stands witness to their scars and stories of what Meredith has done?*

As he turned over her words in his mind, Alex felt his anger fade. Remorse swept in, filling the vacuum behind it. He shouldn't have jumped on her like that. Of course Lilith wouldn't have said anything.

*Lilith, I'm…*

*Forget it. Let's just try to stay focused on what is important*

Right. Focus. Alex broke the connection between them and realized that no one had said anything. Nothing but awkward silence.

"But you decided to come to Kaeleer," Daemon said at last.

"It was enough time to realize I'd gotten all the answers I could from Hayll. There wasn't much reason left to stay after that."

Daemon turned back to Lilith.

"And what exactly were your reasons for not coming back sooner?"

"I have…other interests in Hayll," she hedged.

"Other interests you say," Lucivar prompted.

"Yes, and that's all I'm going to say. So while I was waiting, I attended to them. It seemed more prudent than coming all the way back here."

Lilith was decidedly uncomfortable. She ran a distracted hand roughly through her hair and gestured to Alex.

"Can't we stay focused on what's important?"

"It's all important, witchling."

Lilith exchanged glances with 'Nelle. As if on cue, his sister crossed the room the stand next to Lilith. The two of them stood side by side against Daemon Sadi. Two witches against the High Lord of Hell. Something told Alex that the latter didn't stand a chance.

"Papa- Lilith did something amazing for all of us. Can't you let it go for tonight how she did it?"

**4/Kaeleer**

Daemon studied his daughter and the much exasperated Lilith. He really didn't want to let this go, because if he didn't ask now, they'd find a way that he'd never get another chance. But it was almost impossible to win when the two of them teamed up. He had better let it go. For now.

"Fine, witch-child. For tonight."

Jaenelle Saetien beamed at him. "I knew you'd see reason."

Reason had nothing to do with it. Certainly not with any of this. But Daemon had a few last questions he wanted answered before anything else.

*Lilith?* he sent on a private thread.

*Yes?*

*You're sure that's my son?*

*Prince Sadi,* she replied drily. *I just spent two days travelling with him across Terreille. Every five minutes he was snarling over this or giving me hell over that. There's no mistaking that he's yours after experiencing that*

*I just…*

The unfinished sentence hung there on the connection between them. Daemon knew instinctively that she'd told him the truth. How could he deny that Alexander was his son? One look at the man was like turning back time to see himself at that age. It wasn't just the same physical features. Daemon saw himself in the way Alexander looked at them. Exactly as he'd been at that age.

Minus one key difference. It hadn't escaped Daemon's notice that Alexander wore something other than the Black. The Jewel around the Prince's neck wasn't quite Ebony. Rather somewhere in between. Ebon-Black. And combined with a birthright of Ebon-Gray, Alexander was a dangerously powerful man.

Lilith sighed, bringing Daemon back to the present.

*If you need something more specific…*

*Like what?*

Lilith must have thought of something that might be convincing. She offered it to him, almost cautiously.

*Prince, I played Cradle with him in Draega. You'll be interested to know that he came up with variation twenty-seven on his own*

Daemon didn't ask how she'd conned Alexander into playing Cradle, or why. Tomorrow was soon enough to find out those answers. Right now, he was far more interested in the variation that they'd been playing.

*On his own, you say?*

*Well you know damn well _I_ wasn't going to tell him about it*

*Fair enough* He studied her speculatively. *How did he do?*

*He played well and was determined to win* she admitted. *But he lost*

*I beg your pardon- lost?*

Lilith flashed a quick and unnerving smile at him. *I was more determined not to lose, apparently*

*You're not going to tell the rest of the coven how to beat it, are you?*

*We'll see*

*That aside, witchling. Are you sure?*

*Prince, trust me- he's your son*

He dared ask another question. *And what of his life in Hayll?*

Lilith's expression told him more than enough without any words. Daemon braced himself against what she'd tell him.

*I wish I could say it was an easy one* Her tone was filled with regret. *Meredith chose her revenge well*

She was right. Short of snatching Jaenelle Saetien, Meredith couldn't have chosen a better way to hurt him. Daemon tried to bury those thoughts for now. He severed the connection with Lilith and turned away.

*Something wrong?* Lucivar asked on a spear thread.

*I had to know if what I suspected was true. You know as well as I do what is going on in Meredith's court*

*And it's bad news*

*The worst*

There was nothing more any of them could say. Lilith had told him all he needed to know. Daemon was sure she knew more details, but had decided not to share them. The choice was a prudent one. It meant he'd have to ask Alexander about Draega for himself.

"I suppose we ought to be headed to the Hall," Surreal mused. "Which one of us gets to tell Mrs. Beale she has unexpected guests?"

"Guest," Lilith interjected. "If it's all the same to you, I'd rather stay at the Keep."

Jaenelle gave her friend a playful shove.

"Oh c'mon, Lilith, you can't think to stay here and miss the fun."

"I have a good imagination, so I will be entertained enough thinking of it."

"If you think we're going to let you sneak away, witchling, you're mistaken," Lucivar growled. "Don't pretend that wasn't your plan."

The witch didn't try to deny it. Instead, she turned on Jaenelle Saetien.

"And you were certain you wanted to add another Warlord Prince like them to your everyday life. I am _so_ glad that I'm only here for a short visit."

Daemon wasn't so sure it would be a visit now that he knew where she disappeared off to. Make no mistake, she would _not_ be sneaking off to Hayll on her own again. Tomorrow he intended to make that very clear.

"What will we tell the kitties if you don't come to the Hall?" Jaenelle asked innocently.

The two witches locked gazes for a minute. Then Lilith swore under her breath and headed for the door.

"Hell's fire and may the Darkness be merciful. Fine, I'll go."

"I suppose that means we're leaving now," Surreal mused.

"Seems so."


	24. Chapter 23: Redirection…or Misdirection?

**1/Terreille**

Dinner with Lord Willem had been a strange experience for Ettia, she admitted to herself as they made their way to the Hayllian community of Amdarh. To begin with, she couldn't remember the last meal she'd had with a Blood male. And even that wouldn't have been anything like the one she'd just had.

Despite her determination to remain wary, he'd baited her into a lively conversation with humor and half-serious arguments. Lord Willem was comfortable with a wide range of subjects, switching from books to history to plays and music as easily as taking another breath. Ettia was befuddled why a man like him would care about any of those things. Men were supposed to be adept at just two things- violence and sex.

That was Meredith and Valinna whispering in her ear. She hated to admit that she was still being duped by them, but she'd had no choice. Especially after the heated debate she and Lord Willem had over one of her favorite books of all time. He'd been so determined to make his point that he'd called in his copy to show her the passage to prove it. The book was dog-eared and edges worn from multiple readings.

She could have said that he'd found out from Bethaeny what she liked to read. She could tell herself that he had stolen that book from some witch, and that it was a ploy to make her trust him. But her instincts told her that he'd done neither of those things. That was his book, and he honestly liked it as much as she did.

_Even if he was wrong about the point of that fifth chapter_, she grumbled to herself.

So what did it all mean? Ettia honestly didn't know. She wasn't ready to throw out her convictions about the Blood in Dhemlan. The Hayllian community may still be a trap. Witches may still be held hostage in Amdarh. But Ettia was willing to be persuaded otherwise.

"You've been awfully quiet since we left the dinning house," Lord Willem said, looking at her askance.

"I suppose like food, thoughts need some time to digest," she replied.

"I'm not sure whether to be comforted or perturbed by that comparison."

"Depends on the interpretation, I suppose. How much further is it to the Hayllian community? I've been walking all day and my feet are killing me."

"If I didn't know better than to comment on a lady's choice in fashion, I'd blame the shoes."

"With all your opinions on so many other things, I'm shocked to hear that you would defer in this case."

"I needed only one lesson to teach me caution," Lord Willem recalled in an amused tone.

"My mother had sent me out as her escort for the day and she nearly twisted her ankle several times. When I suggested we stop at a cobbler to get a sturdier pair made, she lectured me for a solid hour on why the pair she was wearing was the _only_ one she could combine with the rest of her outfit."

He shrugged. "Learned more about female clothes than I ever wanted to that afternoon, and decided I didn't need any to give any witch a reason to think I needed another lesson."

Ettia resisted the smile that threatened to crack her façade. The man was certainly good at disarming her with stories of his youth. They were the kinds of stories she wished she could tell about her life. But all she remembered of her mother was a shrew of a woman who was ready to lick the boots of any visiting aristo from Meredith's court.

Of the man who sired her, Ettia had no memories at all.

"In any case, Lady Ettia, have no fear. We should be arriving in the Hayllian Quarter in a few more blocks."

"And you're sure my cousin is there?"

"Arrived late last night. She's staying with some of the ladies in the main inn."

Ettia was still angry with Bethaeny over this, but she was glad that her cousin had been somewhere safe. Or at least that was what she would tell herself until she saw this place with her own eyes. Lord Willem must have guessed the direction of her thoughts.

"If I might ask, Lady Ettia…"

"Ask what?"

"You don't have to answer," he said.

"Well I can't answer anything if you don't ask it first."

"Lady Bethaeny said that you had been part of Meredith's highest coven circle before you left Draega. I was wondering what a witch must endure to remain that close to such a tyrant."

She didn't answer him at first, concentrating only on putting one foot in front of another. In the growing evening hours, the crowds had thinned. She could hear the echo of their steps on the stones. Far better to think of that than to remember the things Meredith and her coven had done to her. Or done to others who hadn't made it as far as she had.

The worst wasn't even anything Meredith had done directly. No. Valinna had been a far more terrifying monster to face as a young protégé in Meredith's court. The Black Widow used her dark Craft to pry into her mind and scoop out everything Ettia had thought was private. Every memory or experience- the cherished and the sordid.

Valinna had taught her a valuable lesson. In Meredith's coven, nothing was ever private. Not even a witch's own thoughts. It could all be dragged out in front of everyone at a moment's notice. For entertainment. As a punishment. For no reason at all.

Decades later, she still remembered how violated she'd felt when it was over. More than anything else in her life. That Black Widow bitch had spent two days picking her apart, preserving every detail in her tangled web. And all Ettia could do was relive it all. With Meredith watching. Smiling that cold smile of hers. She owned Ettia's life now. Every bit of it.

"I'm sorry, Lady," she heard Lord Willem apologize in a gentle voice. "I shouldn't have asked."

Ettia shook herself, trying to free herself from the unpleasant fog that settled around her. After a few deep breaths, she felt steady enough to reply.

"I really don't want to talk about it, Warlord."

"Forget I asked, then. My own curiosity getting the better of good sense."

"A word of advice for you, Lord Willem. When it comes to the twisted nature of Meredith and the witches who share her vision of Hayll…it's best not to find out what they're willing to do to build it."

"I understand why you would say that, but an unknown enemy is all the more dangerous. You can't fight an unknown. At least not successfully."

Now she was alarmed. Ettia stopped short and turned to Lord Willem.

"What else has Bethaeny been telling you?"

He looked startled by the vehemence in her voice, and shook his head.

"She's told us of your escape from Draega, and that you came to Dhemlan to look for a better life. That's all, Lady, I promise."

Not sure if she believed him, Ettia studied the Warlord with narrowed eyes. If Bethaeny was blabbing to these people about their plans to overthrow Meredith, there could be a whole mess of trouble waiting for her. Maybe some of the Hayllians would want to help. But Ettia doubted any of them had the power to be of use.

"Come on with me. You'll understand what I'm talking about more once you've seen the Hayllian Quarter."

"We'll see, Lord Willem."

They turned a corner, and Ettia was greeted by familiar sights and sounds. Despite the lateness of the hour, several dozen witches and Warlords were gathered on the main street. Their voices carried over the night air and Ettia heard their Hayllian accents clearly. What's more, she noticed that the cut of their clothes was still in the Hayllian style. Better material, though.

As they drew nearer, she noticed more details that reminded her of life back in Hayll. Several shops on the street were selling goods specifically from her native Territory. A few had signs in the common tongue and in Hayllian. That was something she hadn't seen even in Draega- only in the rural areas.

It seemed even long before the Purge, the Hayllians in the capital had tried to eliminate everything but the common tongue. Hayllian was considered a 'backwards' speech of the peasants, used only by those who didn't understand the value of using the language of commerce and trade. But here in Amdarh, it seemed that stigma wasn't carried over.

She was about to comment about it to Lord Willem when she saw Bethaeny rushing over to her. Her cousin was half-running over the cobblestones, dodging groups of people talking to reach them. Just when Ettia thought they'd be bowled over, Bethaeny slid to a stop.

"You're here! I was so glad that Lord Willem was able to find you. I knew he would. Wasn't it great?"

The words all tumbled out of her like water in a fountain. Ettia held up her hands, hoping to catch a break long enough to think straight. Unexpectedly, it was Lord Willem who came to her aid.

"Inn first- then you can ply her with questions."

"Oh yes. I guess Ettia must be tired and might want to rest."

The Warlord ushered them towards a large building on the main street. Ettia guessed that it was the inn. Thank goodness, because her feet were truly sore all over from all the walking. She wouldn't admit it in front of Lord Willem, but he was right about the shoes. They really weren't meant for wandering the streets of Amdarh all day. She was more than ready to get off them again.

Bethaeny fell into step beside her, darting curious looks every now and then as they walked across the open thoroughfare. The other people still out at this hour did the same as they passed by, but no one approached the trio. Ettia didn't recognize any of them from Draega. She hadn't expected to, but it never hurt to check.

She glanced back at her cousin, who seemed just bursting with the need to say something. Ettia sighed.

"Okay, out with it- whatever you need to ask. Before it kills you."

"It can wait."

"I know you, Bethaeny. No, it can't."

Her cousin relented with a shrug.

"Yeah, okay." She twisted her hands in front of her and gave Ettia a small smile. "Are you still mad?"

"Bethaeny…"

"I know you had to be mad this morning when you woke up and realized I wasn't there," her cousin rushed to explain. "But it was the only thing I could do to get you to see this place. And you really needed to see it."

Lord Willem let out a sigh of his own. Obviously, her cousin had practiced this speech several times. No doubt he'd been among some of the less fortunate ones to play the part of her stand-in during the rehearsals. Yet another unnerving piece of the Warlord she'd been trying to put together since the dining house. Why would he have put up with it when he didn't have to?

It didn't make any sense.

"Ettia? Are you still mad?"

"Honestly? Yes, still a little mad."

"Oh."

"But a lot less mad than I was this morning."

**2/Terreille**

Well, that was a lot better than Bethaeny was hoping to hear. She'd half expected Ettia to arrive in a raging temper. Fortunately, her plan had paid off. Bethaeny had deliberately left no clue for her cousin in their room to tell her where to find the Hayllian Quarter. That meant she'd had to spend all day looking for it. As she hoped, that time gave Ettia the opportunity to think.

_Maybe now she's ready to listen to what I had to say about this place_, Bethaeny hoped.

As the three of them stepped into the inn, she tried not to seem overly triumphant about her cousin's change of heart. Lord Willem nodded to the barkeep, who cleared off one of the corner tables. By the time they'd crossed the room, a plate of cheeses and fruits sat waiting, along with a few glasses of wine.

Bethaeny waited for Ettia to sit first before taking the chair next to her. Lord Willem sank into the third. Her cousin looked at the plate and sighed.

"I don't know if I could eat another thing. That dining house sure filled up the plates. It was all I could do to finish."

"You may change your mind after a while," Lord Willem said. "I suspect your cousin has plenty to discuss yet this evening."

Ettia gave her a measured look and nodded.

"You may be right."

"I promise I won't keep us too long," Bethaeny swore. "Most of it can wait for tomorrow, but I did want to talk a little tonight."

"A little…hmm."

"I guess to start with- really, how mad are you?"

"Bethaeny, there's no point dwelling on that. I was angry this morning, yes, but it's been a long day since then."

"I disagree, Ettia. I don't think we're going to be able move forward unless we get some things out of the way. And the argument we had last night- and how I left this morning- is a large part of it."

Her cousin hesitated. Lord Willem stood up and bowed to them.

"I have a feeling that this conversation might have a better chance of succeeding if I weren't here. So I'll leave you ladies until you need me again."

Bethaeny watched him walk over to another table, where he sat down with Lord Shaede and a few other Warlords. He was probably right. It was still strange to her the way males were around here. The Protocol they learned made them far more intuitive than she was used to in Hayll. She turned back to Ettia.

"So, do you want to do this now, or are we going to keep driving this wedge between us?"

"I think you're over-exaggerating, Bethaeny."

"No, I'm not. It started even before we left Draega, but has gotten worse since then. If you won't say it, then I will. We don't want the same things anymore."

"How can you say that," her cousin protested. "We both want Meredith and Valinna out of power. That hasn't changed."

"No, it hasn't. But what we want in their place has."

"You've just been confused…"

Bethaeny shook her head firmly.

"I'm not confused, Ettia. I told you what I wanted back when we started this. You just didn't believe me."

"That's because I didn't think you'd seriously want something so dangerous or impossible."

"It's neither of those things."

"Okay, I understand why you might say that," Ettia admitted. "I spent all day in Amdarh, and this balance between witches and Warlords seems to work here. That's what you want to hear, isn't it?"

"Well, not quite like that. You could sound a little happier about it."

"Bethaeny, I don't think you realize the piece that you're missing."

Irritated, Bethaeny crossed her arms and slouched at the table. Why did Ettia have to be a downer all the time?

"And what am I missing?"

"Hayll is not Dhemlan, and Draega certainly isn't Amdarh. This balance works here because they've had decades- centuries even- of time living with this Protocol you showed me. You can't expect it to just work out fine if we transplant it to Draega."

"That's not…"

"Listen to me, cousin. Have you asked anyone here what it was like when they were first learning to live this way? How many died- witches and Warlords- in the struggle to find the balance? I'll bet you that the number is in the thousands at least."

In truth, she hadn't asked. Bethaeny tried not to squirm uncomfortably as she thought through her cousin's questions. Feeling deflated, she slouched even further.

"I suppose I could ask Lord Willem."

"I think you ought to, before you even think about bringing these ideas back with you to Draega. I know you mean well, cousin, but it may not be what's best for us."

"I still think it would be, despite the potential for bloodshed."

"Do enlighten me."

Bethaeny was silent for a moment, trying to think of something to counter Ettia's point. Her cousin sure had poked a giant hole in her argument. If she was going to win, she needed to think of something good.

"Mostly because I don't see your plan being any less bloody, Ettia," she said at last. "I've already seen what you and the others want to do with Hayll. You say you don't want to live under Meredith's oppression anymore, but you talk of setting up a regime no less oppressive."

"That's not true."

"It is so true, even if you don't see it that way. But Maeren and I see it. You don't want to make Hayll an easier place for everyone to live. Just easier for you and witches like you."

Ettia looked ready to strangle her from across the table. If her anger had abated from earlier, Bethaeny had brought it all back now. But that was the idea. She wanted to have this out now- before they got back to Draega. Because she wasn't going to keep silent about it anymore.

"Don't tell me that you don't treat the coven members differently from the housekeeping staff witches."

"Oh here we go with that again."

"I'm serious, Ettia. You claim that you're protecting them from Meredith, and are in effect, protecting all of us. But really you're just keeping them as second-class members of the group. No power or responsibility that might make them think they are as important as the rest of us."

"They are important."

"Yeah, as the messengers and pawns for you and Danella to use when you feel like it. Is that any different than how Meredith treats us? I don't think it is."

"It's a lot different, Bethaeny. When Meredith and Valinna are gone, they won't live in constant fear of being hurt or abused. That has to count for something."

"Is that all you have to say? At least we're not torturing them to death? Would you want to accept that?"

"Why not?"

"Because it's wrong."

"What do you think a witch like Kareal or Fawne can contribute towards ruling Hayll?"

"A lot more than you think, apparently. But even if they didn't know anything about politics, that's not the point. It's the principle that they at least have a voice in it."

"They'll have plenty of opportunities to bring concerns to us."

"Fawne brought one to you just before we left," Bethaeny pointed out stonily. "You dismissed her without even considering what she had to say. If it had been Danella, you would have listened."

Her cousin was silent, unable to deny Bethaeny's accusation. She didn't like arguing with Ettia, but the past few days had shown her that she couldn't go back to Hayll while they were so far apart. The rift between them would only grow wider, and it would hurt their chances for defeating Meredith.

"What do you want, Bethaeny," Ettia asked finally.

"I want to change Hayll. Not just a little and not just for the benefit of a select few. I want to change it for everyone."

"At what cost?"

"Whatever cost necessary." Bethaeny paused. "Even if it means standing against you, cousin."

Ettia was visibly shocked. No doubt, she'd expected Bethaeny to come around to her point of view eventually. She wasn't going to. Not anymore.

"How dare you turn on me! I was the one who saved you back in Draega. Meredith would have torn you apart if not for me taking an interest in you. And this is how you repay me for it?"

"One thing has nothing to do with the other, Ettia. I do appreciate all you did for me. But that doesn't mean I have to do what you say for the rest of my life."

A hush fell over the tables around them, and she realized how loud they'd been arguing. Lord Willem was eyeing them from across the room, seemingly ready to jump in should the confrontation turn to a physical fight. And she supposed that he had good reason to worry. Ettia was livid, and Bethaeny wasn't feeling much calmer.

The Warlord casually approached their table. The man was brave, or stupid. He sat right next to Ettia, and leaned on the smooth wooden planks of the table.

"So, I'm sensing that the discussion here is going less than peacefully."

"Your powers of deduction are astounding, Warlord."

"I didn't need anything more than a working set of ears, Lady Ettia."

Her cousin grumbled something under her breath, but Lord Willem ignored it. He gave Bethaeny a serious look instead. She did her best not to pay attention to the fluttery nervous feeling in her stomach.

"I think it's time you told me the real reason that the two of you have come to Amdarh, Lady Bethaeny."

Uh oh. He'd heard enough of the conversation to unravel their cover story. And he didn't look pleased about it one bit. Bethaeny cleared her throat.

"Okay, so we didn't come to the city looking to start a new life in Dhemlan," she began. "We were supposed to stay here for a few weeks and poke around."

"Bethaeny!"

"Well what do you expect me to do, Ettia? He's already heard enough to guess we're not refugees like the others. Lying is not going to help us here."

"That's very true, Lady," he agreed sternly. "Now, if you'd continue, I'd like to hear more about why you were here to 'poke around' as you say."

"It's complicated, Warlord."

"By all means, explain away. I have all night at your disposal to hear it."

A shiver of fear slid through Bethaeny as she heard the threat in those words. It had been too easy to forget her fear of Lord Willem when he was pleasant and helpful. But she'd forgotten that he was a guard for Lady Claudia, and was capable of doing anything if he felt the court was under threat.

"I suppose there's no real good place to start, but I'll do my best. You see," she sighed, gesturing with her hands. "Meredith and Valinna wanted us out of the way for a while. If not for good. So they sent us off here with some false errand, hoping we'd get ourselves killed."

"I know it's not unusual for Meredith to want a witch dead, but this seems an unusual way to go about it."

"Things are a little…chaotic in her court right now, and she thought this was the best way."

Lord Willem narrowed his eyes and looked first to Ettia, and then back to Bethaeny. No doubt weighing her words. She hoped that when this was over, he'd still be willing to help them. Or at the very least, let them leave Amdarh in one piece.

"I hadn't heard anything unusual about Meredith's court in Draega," he said at last.

"Well, that all started a few months ago. A witch stole all the Rings of Obedience, setting all of the Blood males free."

"Interesting- all of them, you say?"

Bethaeny nodded. "All of them. Including Prince DeSade. No one knew for sure about that for a few months, but Meredith admitted it a few weeks ago. It's caused all kinds of upset in Draega."

Ettia was silent, her mouth set in a straight line. She could tell by how tight her cousin's jaw was clamped shut that she was very nervous. Bethaeny's mother had always said Ettia would one day grind her teeth to the nubs. The warning never seemed to do any good. And it seemed she wasn't the only one who'd noticed Ettia's anxiety.

"You seem to be very uneasy about the subject, Lady Ettia," Lord Willem commented. "What have you to say about all this?"

"Why bother interrogating me? Bethaeny is doing just fine on her own."

"I just thought you might have some additional insight as to the kind of chaos your cousin was describing."

Ettia regarded him in silence for a few minutes. Then she gave an inelegant snort and shrugged her shoulders.

"Sure, why not? After all, we're too far gone for it to matter, anyway. You want to know the real reason we were sent here? I'll tell you."

"Please do."

"Meredith has it in her head that the witch who stole the rings came from Dhemlan. Or at least she's decided blaming this territory is the best way to get her what she wants. She sent us here with a command to spy on the people of Dhemlan and come back with evidence of your spies.

"Didn't matter if it was true or not- or if we lived long enough to get back. All she wanted was something to stuff down the throats of the rest of the coven and every other Hayllian who was having second thoughts about her ability to rule."

After Ettia's terse speech, no one said a word. Not Lord Willem, and certainly not Bethaeny. She was just waiting for him to have them seized and taken to Lady Claudia. But the longer time went on, the more she began to worry whether they'd even get that far.

"My Queen should hear of this," he said finally. "It has been several months since we've had any news of the state of things in Hayll, and from the sounds of things, a lot has changed in that time."

Bethaeny exchanged a puzzled look with Ettia, not sure what to make of that answer.

"There aren't really…Dhemlan spies in Draega, are there?"

He glanced around the nearly empty common room of the inn and frowned.

"This really isn't the place for that discussion."

*That means yes* Ettia sent to her, privately.

*I know that*

*You don't suppose they were behind that witch who freed the Prince? I can't imagine what Meredith would do if she found out that theory was the truth*

*It would be the death knell for peace with Dhemlan*

*To say the least*

*So what do we do about it?*

Ettia paused, indecision plain across the connection. She might not completely trust Lord Willem or the Dhemlans, but she didn't want to ruin her chances with Meredith by revealing anything that would make her position stronger. If it were up to Bethaeny, she'd try to make the Dhemlans their allies. Unlikely to get Ettia to see eye to eye with her on that idea.

*Nothing for now* her cousin answered slowly. *I want to know more, first*

Bethaeny severed the connection and ventured a reply to Lord Willem.

"Is there somewhere else you had in mind to have it?"

"Preferably at the Queen's Residence. But that will have to wait for tomorrow or the day after," he said, rising from the table. "Meanwhile, it's late and I'm sure the two of you ought to get some rest. It could be a very long couple of days."

"Are we staying here in the inn?"

"Where else did you think you were going?"

Bethaeny shrugged. "Just figured that you wouldn't want a couple of spies wandering free around the city."

"Or in the city at all," Ettia remarked.

"If you want the truth, no, it's not entirely safe to have you on your own in Amdarh. I'll be posting a guard detail here at the inn for tonight. They'll be your escorts until I can get an audience with Lady Claudia."

"Oh."

"It's as much for your protection as for ours."

"What's going to happen to us," Bethaeny dared ask.

Lord Willem looked directly at her, and then to her cousin. He shook his head.

"I don't know, Lady Bethaeny. But when we do meet with Lady Claudia, I recommend being as honest as possible."

She felt cold again, and pulled at her sleeves. Ettia said nothing, but the look in her eye as she stared at her was telling enough. Bethaeny knew the 'I told you so' look quite well. When they were alone again, her cousin would give her a blistering lecture about how she'd ruined everything and probably had gotten them killed.

Lord Willem ushered them to the stairs leading to the upstairs rooms, and passed them over to a couple of Warlords. She guessed these were their escorts. One of them happened to be Lord Shaede, so at least it wasn't too bad. A friendly face was nice. She bade him good night and stepped into the room she now shared with Ettia.

Time for the long wait until morning.

**3/Terreille**

Valinna was in no hurry to answer Meredith's summons. In truth, she waited an extra half hour on purpose just to irritate her. Not entirely wise, but the Gray was only one rank darker than her Red, so she stood a good chance of surviving a burst of temper.

That's all Meredith would dare do, in any case. She might threaten to do more, but she still needed Valinna by her side. Just like Valinna needed Meredith. For now. But she'd already begun devising a way to be rid of the troublesome Queen. All she needed was a little patience.

Fortunately for her, patience was something she excelled at. Unlike her failed protégé. And Valinna was ready to admit at this point that Meredith was just that. A failure. Well, not exactly a failure. She'd been useful to bring Hayll to this point. But Draega and the coven needed a different kind of Queen to move them forward.

Until Valinna found her, she'd have to make do with what she had. She raised her head a notch and entered the suite where Meredith was waiting.

"How dare you show up late!"

"Think of it as some extra time to think," Valinna replied calmly.

"Oh I've been thinking all right."

"Have you?"

Meredith stood and advanced across the room. No matter what, Valinna knew she couldn't retreat or show any fear. Once she did that, everything would be over. She'd be no different from anyone else in the coven. And if that happened, she'd have no choice but to leave the court and start over again somewhere else.

"I will not tolerate your arrogance and insolence any longer, Valinna. I'm the Queen of Hayll and I give the orders. Not you or anyone else."

"Don't forget, Meredith. You're Queen because I was there to help you. If not for me, you'd be a broken slattern whore warming the bed of any Warlord who wanted to take you."

"And who would you be if I weren't Queen of Hayll," Meredith sneered back. "A dried up old crone with no one to nag. Muttering your dour warnings and cryptic messages to yourself?"

"If you think you don't need my Craft any longer, then by all means say so. Dismiss me- I dare you."

Her words lingered in the room, weighted by the tension between them. Valinna didn't want it to come to this. Not just yet. But she couldn't back down, either.

Apparently, Meredith wasn't that eager to dissolve their partnership. But she didn't want to back down, either. The silence stretched on as they glared at one another. Valinna refused to be the first to break it.

"Damn you."

"Well?"

"You know as well as I do that isn't what I want- what either of us want."

"Then I suggest we decide right now what it is we do want, or there's no point in talking about anything else."

"Fine," Meredith said with sweet venom. "I'll tell you what I want. I want you to accept that Hayll will be ruled how I see fit, and that your contribution is expected only when I request it."

"And if I disagree with your decisions?"

"I suggest you keep it to yourself."

"I see," Valinna answered archly. "I suppose I'll have to be content watching the resulting failures when things do go wrong."

"There won't be any failures."

"If you say so."

Meredith snarled and pointed an accusing finger at her. "It's almost as if you _want_ me to fail."

"I don't. But you seem determined to see it happen."

"You're referring to my plan concerning Lady Ettia and her idiot cousin."

Valinna said nothing and settled herself in one of the over-stuffed chairs. A tray of brewed tea sat on the table next to it, so she poured some into one of the cups and let it cool. Meredith watched her sullenly, and then sat in the chair opposite her. She drummed her fingertips on the arm until finally she couldn't keep silent any longer.

"Well?"

"I was under the impression that my opinions weren't welcome unless requested," Valinna replied as she sipped on her tea.

"Oh hell's fire."

"Your rules, if I remember correctly I'm surprised you've forgotten them so quickly."

"Spare me the diatribe and just get to your point. Go ahead and tell me what you think is so wrong about my plan."

"I already told you what I thought was wrong with it earlier today. The point of this meeting was to give you time to reflect on it and think of why it might be better to delay it for a while."

"And even if I had, you'd still find some way to find fault."

Valinna sighed.

"Did you at least think about what I'd said? Or did you spend the whole day working up your temper?"

More silence. That was answer enough, and just added fuel to her dissatisfaction with Meredith. But she supposed she shouldn't be surprised.

"Let's say we dispose of Ettia and Bethaeny on the way back from this trip. I agree, it would allow you to eliminate some of the most troublesome Warlords in Draega. And it would spur more support for the campaign against Dhemlan."

"Two things we really need right now- so what is the issue?"

"Both of those things can be accomplished using other- less drastic- means. In fact, by letting Ettia and her cousin return alive, we could achieve the same thing. Without losing our established link into Dhemlan."

"Do elaborate."

Valinna took another drink, and then set the cup back on its saucer. She leveled her gaze at Meredith, trying to be as patient as possible.

"Regardless of what info they have, we put together a cover story sure to incense our sisters. One implicating that several Warlords are plotting with the Dhemlans."

A small flicker there in Meredith's expression, but not enough to tell Valinna that her strategy was fully understood. Mother Night, when had the witch become this dim? Had she always been this way, and Valinna had only tricked herself into thinking she'd seen intelligence there? She hoped not. Meredith was just distracted by their earlier argument.

"The more we send Ettia and Bethaeny into Draega, the more opportunities we have to build a solid case against Dhemlan. We manufacture evidence against Dhemlan, and they provide a sense of credulity to the stories.

"In a few months, all of Hayll will be primed for a war. That's when you spring your trap on our unwitting puppets. They become the catalyst for your campaign- the martyrs to rally an army."

"A few months. If we can accomplish that in a few months, why not expedite things a little? Kill Ettia and Bethaeny now to stir up an outcry. Send the next two witches into Dhemlan to 'investigate' their murders. Then deliver them up as your so-called catalysts in a few weeks?"

"It won't work," Valinna argued. "By rushing, you'll just divide the opinions of the Hayllians instead of unifying them. They'll see through the ruse and you may even lose the support of witches we just recently won back to our side."

The Queen stood up and paced the rug between their chairs. Her annoyance was plain as she crossed and uncrossed her arms. At last, she let out a frustrated sigh.

"I'm so sick of waiting for what I want. We've been at this for centuries. By now, I should have had all of Terreille under my rule."

"We're close now. I guarantee that if you're patient in this matter, it won't be long before you have Dhemlan."

"I want you to use your Craft to find out for certain," Meredith ordered sharply. "Before I agree with your plan, I want to know that it's the right one."

"I understand. I'll weave tonight and we'll discuss this again tomorrow."

"Early. An hour after dawn I expect to see you back here again with answers."

As much as it galled her to do it, Valinna nodded without argument. Oh how she would love to heckle Meredith with some excuse why she couldn't be available that early. But she'd already caused enough discord for one day.

Satisfied by Valinna's response, Meredith turned her steps towards the door and left in a flurry of skirts. Just as well. Now that the Queen was gone, she had some time to think. As she replayed their conversation from the beginning, her anger with Meredith grew stronger. She would not soon forget the words the witch had flung at her. Or the arrogant demands she'd made.

Oh yes, she would weave a tangled web tonight. But it wouldn't be the web the Queen had commanded. Why waste her time with that if she already knew which path was the right one? No, that didn't interest her at all. Valinna had something far more useful in mind.

_After all, creating illusions and false evidence isn't useful against just Dhemlan_, she thought with a malicious smile.


	25. Chapter 24: The Hall in Dhemlan

**1/Kaeleer**

Surreal decided it would be best to keep a fair distance between Lilith and the Warlord Princes. She and Jaenelle Saetien chose a private alcove in the coach and invited the witch to join them. Lilith looked at her other options and had no trouble making a decision. She sank into the seat cushions with a sigh.

"I told the Prince it would be a long night."

The Prince.

Wasn't it strange that Lilith didn't say Alexander? In fact, Surreal hadn't heard her call him anything but Prince since she introduced him. Why weren't they on a first-name basis?

"I tried to tell Papa not to be angry," Jaenelle Saetien said with a shrug. "But you know Papa."

"It's not your fault, 'Nelle. I knew they'd find out eventually."

They were silent for some time before her daughter spoke again.

"You had me really worried this time, Lilith."

"I always come back."

"Yeah, in a few weeks at the most."

"I was fine."

"And your moontimes?"

Lilith grimaced. "I put them off. So the next one is going to hurt like a wicked bitch."

"Papa and Uncle Lucivar will have a field day."

"Oh I won't be staying long enough to worry about that. I'm not crazy."

Surreal could only stare at her incredulously. "Sugar, you don't realize you're not going anywhere until Daemon and Lucivar let you leave."

"That won't be long. They have the Prince to focus on. There won't be time to worry about what I'm up to."

"Lilith, you didn't see Papa when he found out where you'd been. He's going to make this his business."

"Some thanks I get for all this. I do something that needed doing and they're going to give me nothing but hell over it," Lilith muttered.

"As much as I hate to agree with them," Surreal said with a sigh, "they're right. You shouldn't be going into Hayll."

"Why not?"

"It's just too dangerous. Your Jewels may be Sapphire, but they don't outrank the more powerful witches in Meredith's coven- or their pet Warlords."

The witch didn't seem all that impressed by the argument. She merely glanced at Jaenelle and shrugged.

"The aim of my visits to Draega isn't to attract their attention, so that's really not a problem."

"Lilith, you're playing with fire and you'll get burned."

"Already considered the risks when I started this. I went anyway."

"You know," Jaenelle said slowly. "It might be a lot less risky if you had your rank Jewels to back up the Sapphire. You could change your mind and make your Offering."

Oh how the little witchling glared at Jaenelle. "No, that would not be safer. And I'll thank you not to bring it up again."

"Hey, I was only thinking of how you could convince Papa to give you a break about Hayll."

"'Nelle, you know I can't."

Surreal had heard them argue over the Offering topic many times. But she'd never heard Lilith give that particular response. From the tone, she could only draw one conclusion what the witch meant. Surreal refused to believe it was true. She lowered her voice, afraid that the Princes would hear her.

"Sugar, please don't tell me you've been wandering around Hayll and you're still a virgin."

Lilith didn't say anything, but a quick glance at her darling daughter confirmed that she knew the answer. It wasn't the one Surreal wanted. She swore under her breath with every profanity she knew.

"I'm going to pretend I _never_ knew about this and hope that none of them ever find out."

"That'll be kinda hard if she ever has a Virgin Night."

Mother Night, she was right. It wouldn't matter who Lilith selected here in Dhemlan. The second she did decide to have a Virgin Night, Daemon and Lucivar would find out. And they would be livid.

Their only hope was to have it performed somewhere far away from here. Maybe then they would have a slim chance that it might not draw the attention of the SaDiablo males. Surreal let out a breath in a huff.

"We could find someone else who…"

Jaenelle Saetien snorted in amusement. "I wouldn't count on it. Lilith's already scared off every male in all of Kaeleer. The only males with enough brass to dare attempt it would be one of…"

Her voice trailed off suddenly and she stared first at Lilith and then at the group of Warlord Princes on the other side of the coach. She paused a long while on Alexander.

"Hold on, everyone. I've already told you, 'Nelle. No Virgin Night. Ever. So there's no need to worry about who would or wouldn't do it."

"But…" Jaenelle protested with a searching look.

"Ever. I mean it, 'Nelle. So drop it."

Jaenelle looked one more time at Alexander, then slumped into the seat.

"If that's what you want."

"Really, it is."

Surreal felt like she'd just missed something important. But since the two of them agreed to drop the subject, there was no asking about it now. Maybe she'd get Jaenelle Saetien to tell her later. For now, she was just glad the coach was coming to a stop. They were home at last.

**2/Kaeleer**

Well that hadn't gone well at all. This was not the time to revisit arguments with 'Nelle over an Offering. It definitely wasn't the time to talk about Virgin Nights. Especially hers.

'Nelle knew from past arguments that she didn't want one. And although Lilith hadn't given her any specific details why, her friend wasn't stupid. She knew that it had something to do with a past experience. So if 'Nelle could tell she wasn't a virgin anymore, she'd know something serious had gone wrong in Hayll.

_Please just leave it alone_, Lilith prayed silently.

*One question and I'll drop this* 'Nelle sent to her on a private thread.

Uncanny that she seemed to know exactly what she'd been thinking. Fortunately, they'd arrived at the Hall. Lilith exited the coach, ducking past the group of Warlord Princes crowding the doorway with as much grace as she could muster. 'Nelle ran to keep up with her.

*Please?*

Lilith relented. *One question- only one and I mean it*

*Are you okay?* She paused. *I mean…really okay?*

She should lie, but since she'd gotten 'Nelle's promise to let it go, she might as well be honest.

*Not yet, but I will be*

*Oh*

'Nelle stopped, and Lilith turned to see the stricken look on her face. She sighed.

*It's not your fault*

*If you'd not gone back for him…*

*'Nelle, it's not your fault*

*You're sure?*

*Yes*

With that, she walked to the front door of the Hall and tried to smile when Beale answered it. He was both surprised and relieved to see her. Haedyn and Taenne must have become very irksome over the past few months waiting for her.

"Good Evening, Beale."

"Good Evening, Lady Lilith."

"I've come to rescue the Hall from the kitties. I hear they have missed me."

The Warlord said nothing, but she could tell her reply was on the mark. As she slipped past him into the foyer, she realized maybe _too_ on the mark. Two pair of baleful eyes bored into her.

*You said not long and you'd be back* Haedyn accused.

A wealth of male bossiness in that tone. Lilith figured she'd better make peace with them quick. The rest of the group was trickling in behind her and she heard their feet shuffle to an immediate stop.

"I know, I know. I broke my promise, but it was important."

*Why important?*

"I had to finish what I'd started. You don't expect me to walk away in the middle of something, do you?"

Taenne shifted his gaze to the group at the door. He immediately noticed Alex.

*You found the High Lord's cub. This is what you went to do*

"Yes," Lilith agreed, although Alex would probably feel insulted to be called a cub. With difficulty, she suppressed the urge to giggle. She did not want to have to explain it, and not just to the kitties.

*Didn't he want to come back?*

"It's complicated."

The cats ignored her response and padded over to Alex. They circled him, tails twitching. The whole room was very tense. To his credit, Alex was doing his best not to be intimidated. But it was hard not to be when facing sixteen hundred pounds of muscles, claws and teeth.

Not to mention the Red Jewels around their necks.

But he stood his ground and stared back. Taenne returned to her first, nuzzling his head against her palm. Lilith relented and scratched behind one of his silky ears. Haedyn soon took up his place on her other side. She gave them one long exasperated look.

"Well?"

*Is good to bring the Warlord Prince here* Haedyn conceded.

*He will be a good mate* Taenne added.

_Oh hell's fire, not them, too_. Lilith caught herself before replying aloud.

*He's not here to be my mate*

The cats looked at her, and then back to Alex, puzzled.

*Why not?*

*Because I said so*

*Not good reason*

*The Prince agrees with me*

*Foolish male- we will train him*

*Don't you dare say anything to him about being my mate- either of you* she ordered. *In fact, if any of the Kindred mention it, I will not be quick to forgive*

Now they studied her and exchanged glances. At first, Lilith worried that they might actually defy her. But eventually they agreed to keep silent. At least for a little while. The subject was far from closed in their opinion.

"Lilith?" 'Nelle said. "What did they say?"

She forced herself to look back at the SaDiablos. This Hall belonged to them, but right now, they were all held hostage by what these two cats might do if they took exception to Alex. And she was the one thing standing between them. In moments like this, she wondered how none of them suspected what she really was.

The expression on Alex's face was telling. Seeing her with two Arcerian Warlord Princes wasn't something he was prepared for. So she cleared her throat and tried to answer as best as she could.

"Princes Haedyn and Taenne are glad to see the High Lord's son has come home."

A collective sigh of relief went up from 'Nelle and Surreal. Everyone visibly relaxed, and Lilith turned her attention back to the kitties. She needed to be away from here. It was exhausting to keep everything locked down inside her after two solid days with Alex.

*'Nelle, can we find some reason to escape? I so want this night to be over*

*I'll do what I can*

She was still looking at Haedyn when 'Nelle found her voice.

"I dunno about all of you, but I'm tired. Lilith, I can show you to a guest suite."

"I suppose we can wait for tomorrow for the rest of your explanations about Hayll, Lady," Daemon directed at her.

"Thank the Darkness," Lilith answered with a wry smile. "After all, I doubt you'd get anything useful if I fell asleep mid-interrogation."

She saw Surreal and 'Nelle wince at her phrasing. As for Alex, Lilith stole a quick peek at him to see how he was holding up. To everyone else, he probably looked unconcerned. But she could see that he wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea of being left alone. He may not like her that much right now, but at least she was something familiar in this place where everything else was so strange.

She'd have to hope that once she and 'Nelle retired for the night, they'd all do the same. For his sake…and theirs.

'Nelle swept over to her and grabbed Lilith's arm.

"Why don't we go find that guest suite before you and Papa get into another argument?"

While the SaDiablo males tried to sputter a reply, they rushed up the stairs. Haedyn and Taenne were more than happy to come along with them. Hopefully, any furniture in the guest suite was sizeable enough to accommodate her and them, because Lilith doubted she'd sleep alone tonight.

Ironic that she felt safer with two Arcerian Warlord Princes than she'd felt in the past two days.

**3/Kaeleer**

"Mother Night," Alex whispered to himself as he watched Lilith disappear with two of the deadliest predators he'd ever seen in his life. Well, deadliest next to himself- and quite possibly Daemon Sadi.

"Is that what she meant by 'cats'?"

Lucivar glanced at him sideways. "If she was talking about Kindred, that's who she meant."

"What are they?"

"Arcerians. And you're lucky they like you."

"If they didn't, would they eat me? She mentioned not doing something stupid that would get me eaten by the cats."

Strained silence for a few moments while the others tried to think of a suitable answer. Daemon finally found himself equal to the task, and sighed.

"The Lady truly does have a way with words."

"Are they always so…" he couldn't describe it. But apparently, he'd said enough to get the point across.

"Around the Lady, yes."

Well, that spoke volumes. Alex could well imagine that Lilith would have no trouble keeping anyone away with those two around. Maybe the distance between them was a good thing. It meant distance between him and those cats. At least until he had time to learn how to deal with them.

He continued to stare at the empty space they'd occupied a moment ago. Now that Lilith was gone, Alex was feeling somewhat uncertain about his newly acquired family. And they seemed to be just as uncertain about him. He hoped that coming here had been the right thing to do.

"Well, I suppose that's good to know."

Awkward silence. In the end, it was the Eyrien who spoke.

"They sure did find a way to knock us all on our asses, didn't they?"

"Lucivar!"

"What? I'm just saying what we're all thinking."

Surreal shook her head and muttered something under her breath. Then she looked at Alex.

"You'll have to forgive him, Prince. Lucivar is Eyrien, which means he's about as subtle as an avalanche."

Oh there was no way he was going to endure this. It was one thing that Lilith refused to call him by name. That was his own fault. But if he was going to feel like he belonged here, he sure as hell wasn't going to have his family calling him 'Prince' all the time.

"It's Alex," he insisted quickly. "And I take no offense. He's right."

"See, Surreal? At least the Boyo has sense."

Alex could see that she was about to give him a sharp retort, but Daemon intervened.

"Surreal, it's been a long few days. Let it go."

"Tell you what," Lucivar said with a smile. "Why don't you save that temper for practice tomorrow morning? I'll even let you get in the first swing."

"Careful, Sugar, or Lilith and Jaenelle won't be the only ones knocking you on your ass."

Lucivar laughed.

"If you manage to do it, witchling, I'll pay you fifty silver marks."

He was utterly confused. The Eyrien was _enjoying_ the argument with Surreal, provoking her on purpose. And no one else seemed to think it strange at all. That told him just one thing. This was normal. If not in all of Kaeleer, at least in his family.

As Alex puzzled out the strangeness of what he'd just seen, he realized that Daemon was watching him. It was still unnerving how alike in looks they were. Unnerving, but in some ways useful, too. Alex could almost read exactly what his father was about to say in his expression.

"Doesn't make any sense, does it?"

"Honestly, no," Alex admitted.

"I don't know what all you've heard of Kaeleer, but as you can see, it's very different from Hayll."

Lilith had tried to warn him just how different, but Alex hadn't really understood. Now he was beginning to realize that she'd only scratched the surface on the trip here. Perhaps he shouldn't have been so eager to rush through the journey, even if it had meant enduring another night in an inn.

Common sense told him that one more day- hell, even ten more days- wouldn't have been enough to really prepare him for Kaeleer. The only way he was going to deal with this place was to experience it first-hand.

"It most certainly is."

"I imagine it was a long journey to the Keep," Daemon replied after a pause. "There's nothing that can't wait until tomorrow if you want to call it a night."

Alex wasn't sure if the offer was for his benefit, or for theirs. Not that he cared that much at the moment. If it meant time alone to rebalance himself, he'd take it.

"We rode all day to get to the Keep. I could stand some sleep for a few hours," he answered at last.

"Probably best to find a suite in the guest wing," Surreal pointed out. "Or Helene will be riled that we gave him a family suite without letting her give it a thorough going over."

"I'm the Warlord Prince of Dhemlan and tiptoe around the moods of my housekeeper," Daemon muttered in bemusement. "Come on, Boyo, let's get you settled."

Alex followed his father and couldn't resist asking after some time about something that had him curious.

"Why does that mean?"

"It's a common term used to describe males at your age. But if you prefer something else…"

"No, not really. Was just curious."

They continued to walk through the Hall. It wasn't as big or as grand as the Keep, but Alex still felt a little overwhelmed by it. From what he'd seen of the outside, it was at least twice the size of Meredith's Hall. Maybe three times. Alex reminded himself several times that his family actually owned this place. Unbelievable.

"If you don't mind answering a question…" Daemon began after they'd gone a ways.

Alex really wasn't in the mood to answer any more questions for the night. He'd exhausted his social skills for the day. But he couldn't just refuse, either.

"It depends on the question."

Daemon acknowledged the warning with a nod.

"Lilith said the trip took two days, and I can't help wondering why. Even riding the Sapphire Winds wouldn't have taken more than half a day."

"We weren't on the Winds," Alex replied, relieved that it was an easy question. "We took horses."

"Horses?" He could almost hear his father screaming in frustration. "What in the name of Hell was she thinking?"

Alex knew the reason Lilith had given him at the time. It had seemed to make sense, but then he'd gotten so distracted about his family and Kaeleer that he'd never really thought about it. Now that the journey was over, he realized that she'd been exaggerating the danger of using the Winds. Once they'd left Draega, there was no reason not to have used them.

As he and Daemon wound through the corridors of the Hall, he thought of why she might have chosen a longer route. None came to him right away. If the Sapphire took a half a day, the Ebon-Black would have been a few hours. No need to spend all those wretched hours in the saddle. No need to spend that terrible night in the inn. So why had she done it?

Then it struck him- all those long hours. He recalled the book she'd given him and the hours he'd spent reading it. Not to mention the time she'd spent talking about Kaeleer. And learning how to communicate with the Kindred. And the things she'd told him about his family.

All were things that wouldn't have been possible in a journey of a few hours. Alex admitted if not for those two days, coming here would have been a shock beyond what he might have been ready for. Lilith must have known that, so she'd lied and kept her reasons to herself.

As soon as he could figure out how, he ought to thank her for the kindness. But in the meantime, he could at least provide an answer to Daemon's question.

"She was buying time to explain Kaeleer to me."

The man stopped and pivoted slowly on his heel to face him. Sympathy was written all over his expression.

"She was explaining Kaeleer…my condolences. That had to be a very long two days indeed."

"I think she was of the mind it would help."

"They always think they're helping, even when they're really not."

"I had noticed that."

"Do yourself a favor and don't ask Jaenelle Saetien to explain anything. At least not for a while."

"Okay."

They continued walking for some time before Daemon stopped again. He pushed open a door and walked inside. Alex guessed he ought to follow, although it made him uneasy. Family or not, Daemon was a Warlord Prince. A Black Jeweled Warlord Prince whose experience surpassed his.

Alex wasn't sure he trusted him yet.

With that in mind, he snapped up a skintight shield before entering the suite. Daemon was waiting, and raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Well, at least that's one lesson you won't need."

"What?"

"Shielding before walking into an unknown situation, Boyo. That's a very important lesson to remember here in Kaeleer."

"It was an important lesson in Terreille, too," Alex countered coolly.

Daemon's amusement faded, replaced by a look that was both grim and resigned.

"Yes, I know,"

He seemed to want to say something else, but held it back. Alex waited to see what he might say next.

"I'm curious," Daemon said at last. "Why didn't you shield from the beginning- even at the Keep?"

That was a good question. Ordinarily, he would have. But Lilith had been there, and if she'd felt that they weren't in danger it had been good enough for him. A very disturbing thought came to him.

_Mother Night, I trust her._

Oh sure, after their first meeting in Draega, Lilith might have earned some trust after she freed him. But he'd let her lead him all the way to Kaeleer. Not once had he thought to question that she might be leading him into a trap or that she wasn't being honest with him about her intentions. Alex couldn't recall ever once shielding himself on the journey. Not at the blacksmith, or the inn, or as Daemon pointed out- at the Keep.

If it had been anyone else, things would have been very different. And right now, Alex did not want to explore the reasons why. But he still needed to answer Daemon's question. Only problem was that he didn't have one.

"I should have," he admitted finally.

The other man studied him thoughtfully, knowing damn well that really wasn't an answer. This place and the people in it were going to be a test of his skills. In Draega, he'd had no trouble staying one step ahead of Meredith's coven bitches, telling them what they wanted to hear and hiding the rest. Kaeleer was going to be more of a challenge.

"There's a book I should get for you. It'll help you adjust to Kaeleer."

Thank the Darkness, Daemon decided to let the matter go. Alex breathed an internal sigh of relief. At the mention of a book, he immediately knew which one he meant.

"You mean this one?" Alex called in the book Lilith had given him. "Lilith gave this to me as we were leaving Draega."

Daemon looked surprised. "I can't believe she gave that to you and was willing to travel two days before she could get away. The Lady is many things, but a fool usually isn't one of them."

Alex wasn't quite sure what to say to that. But he did have one question.

"So it's true- all the things I read?"

"I'm sure it sounds impossible compared to life in Hayll, but yes it is."

Alex studied the book in his hands and managed a wry smile.

"Life here is going to be interesting."

"Of that I have no doubt," Daemon replied, walking to the door. He was almost in the hall when he gave Alex one last look. Alex thought he might say something, but then he walked away.

**4/Kaeleer**

Surreal was waiting for him when Daemon returned to their suite.

"Sadi, what do you think of all this?"

"I think there are pieces of this story Lilith isn't telling us."

"I think you're right. Jaenelle Saetien knows something, but she wouldn't tell me, either," she snarled at him. "She and Lilith had one of their conversations- you know what kind I mean- while we were in the coach."

"About what?"

"Hell if I know. But whatever _they_ were talking about wasn't the same as what _we_ were talking about amongst the three of us."

"I can find out about it when I talk to Lilith tomorrow."

Surreal shook her head at him.

"Give me a few days to work on Jaenelle first. I think I can get her to explain it to me. You're going to have enough of a time getting answers to what you want to know, anyway."

It was true. So why did he get the feeling that Surreal was the one trying to hide something? He was thinking of a way to bring it up when she spoke up suddenly.

"Sadi, how bad do you think it was for him?"

Deliberate or not, she'd effectively moved their conversation to a new subject. One Daemon wasn't sure he was ready to discuss. Between what Lilith had said and what he'd seen so far, he had no comforting answers.

Daemon collapsed wearily on the edge of the bed, emotionally wrung out. Surreal sat beside him quietly and waited. When he felt strong enough, he made himself look at her. Tears filled her eyes, and he knew he didn't have to say anything. Daemon answered, anyway.

"Those bitches tortured him. They ringed him and tortured our son." He shook with rage…and guilt.

"I let him spend six hundred years in that place."

"Sadi, we both had no idea he was even alive."

"If I'd gone to Hayll even once, I would have known he was there."

"At what cost to you?" she argued. "We may have gotten Alex back, but might have lost you and you know it."

"I could have handled it," he protested with a snarl.

Surreal wasn't deterred one bit. She reached up to hook her hair behind her ears and sighed.

"Lilith said it herself. At best, Draega would have been destroyed if you'd gone. And at worst…"

He knew she was right, but the guilt still burned in him. His son had learned things that Daemon hoped no child of his would ever know. It would take years to undo the damage Meredith and her coven had done. If it could be undone.

Would Alex bear the same scars that Daemon couldn't completely banish in himself? Another snarl fought its way out of him.

"I could still destroy it."

They were both silent for some time before Surreal laid a hand on over his.

"Would you?"

"If I thought it would do any good…yes. But Lilith is right. Crushing Meredith and her court won't fix what's wrong in Hayll."

"What do you think will fix it, Sadi?"

"I wish I knew," he admitted dismally.

Now more than ever he wished he had found a way to rid Hayll of the corruption at the heart of the Territory. Ever since he'd realized what was going on in Hayll, he'd been searching for an answer to stop it. None had come to him. Maybe if it had…

Well, there was no use thinking about what ifs. The fact was he didn't and Alex suffered for it.

"Do you think Lilith knows the answer," Surreal ventured after a while. "She's spent more time in Hayll than anyone else from Kaeleer."

"Don't remind me. I don't want to think of how much danger she put herself in. Or that Jaenelle Saetien knew about it and didn't say anything."

"That's why I wonder if she knows some way of fixing Hayll. She mentioned that she had other interests there- and I'm thinking maybe that's what she's doing."

"I don't care if she thinks she knows…the witch only wears a Sapphire jewel and has no business skulking around the slums of Draega. She'd end up dead or worse."

"So if she made an Offering and wore the Gray or the Ebon-Gray, you'd be okay with it?"

"Hell's fire no."

"What are you going to do about her, then? Sadi, she's going to keep going, whether you like it or not."

"The Lady isn't going anywhere," Daemon said, deadly calm.

To prove he meant it, he keyed the shields in the Hall. The power of the Black rolled through every stone and sealed virtually everyone inside. No one would be leaving the Hall without his say so.

Surreal said nothing at first, and then sighed.

"She's not going to be happy about this."

No, Lilith certainly wouldn't be happy about any of this. Not one bit. No doubt tomorrow when he spoke to her, she'd have a lot to say about being shut up here.

"She'll be alive," he replied resolutely. "That I can live with."

"Can you live with what might happen to Hayll if she doesn't go back?"

"Be serious, Surreal. What could happen?"

She shook her head and gripped his hand tightly for a moment.

"I don't know, but I have this feeling that there's something we don't know about her, and it has to do with why she keeps going there."

Daemon had no idea why Lilith kept going to Hayll, but even if it did have something to do with healing the Territory he didn't care. She would not be going back.


	26. Chapter 25: Lights in the Shadows

**1/Terreille**

Raenel had only been gone a few days, but Tarine was already wishing she were back again. Hell, she would even take Prince DeSade back. Potentially lethal temper included. At least then she might feel like they had a chance against Meredith's latest scheme. Right now, she wasn't so sure.

The heart of it was insidiously clever. Tarine had heard rumors trickling into her district about how spies from Dhemlan had infiltrated the courts and destroyed their control over Blood males. Meredith was claiming that the Dhemlan Queens wanted to take Hayll for themselves. Her plan was to strike back and crush the would-be usurpers for good.

Unfortunately, the lure of those words was strong enough to reel in many witches- and even some Warlords- in Draega. Not to mention Meredith's pet Queens. Even before Raenel had left with the Prince, Tarine had been hearing of rallies in neighboring districts. And of much worse things.

Just today she'd heard that Lady Jaemie publicly tortured two young witches, claiming that they were Dhemlans spies posing as Hayllians. The proof? The witches had only arrived in her district in the past year and couldn't produce any link to the previous Queen they'd been serving. Howe had spared her the details of what he and his men had seen, but she knew it was bad.

And it was only going to get worse.

Tarine may not be a Black Widow like Raenel was, but she could see that much. Times had been dark enough for everyone when Meredith campaigned against Blood males. Warlords and Princes died by the hundreds- the thousands. And those left alive couldn't really call it living.

But in most cases, a witch could keep herself whole…if she knew how to follow Meredith's rules. If you didn't fight and stayed out of the main courts, you kept your Jewels and could scratch out some kind of living. Tarine wasn't naïve. No one was ever completely safe in Hayll, but it was enough.

This new attack changed everything.

Witches could be persecuted alongside their male counterparts. Offered up as traitors or spies without any proof. Anyone with a grudge had a perfect means of getting revenge. The right word in the right ear and a witch would die a violent and brutal death. For the good of Hayll, they'd tell themselves.

Mother Night, why did Raenel have to leave now? And if she was right, she'd be gone for at least a month before coming back. Would she and the other Queens be able to hold out that long?

"Lady, are you feeling all right?"

Tarine glanced up at Lord Braetyn, who was hovering over her anxiously. Usually, she'd be annoyed at all his fussing, but not today. Right now she could only feel grateful that she had the support of her Court behind her to face whatever was coming.

"Just thinking about the report from Howe," she replied with a dejected sigh. "We'll be seeing more of those in the coming weeks, I'm sure of it."

"Not in this district," he insisted firmly.

She ventured a wan smile at his confidence and shuffled a few petitions around.

"I will do my best to keep Meredith's poison out of this part of Draega, but…"

"Respectfully, Lady Tarine, you might as well stop that sentence right now," Braetyn interrupted. "Because if any of that does get here, it'll only be because none of us are left to fight it."

He'd meant for that to be comforting, but Tarine felt chilled by what those words implied. All gone. Her entire Court- Howe, Braetyn and all the others she'd come to know so well- all destroyed. She'd never given it much thought before. The task she'd been given of building her Court had occupied most of her time. But they'd been trained to be her tools for war as much as her council.

Suddenly it was very real that one day soon she might be responsible for ordering their deaths.

"No," she whispered in denial. "I can't let that happen."

"We'll do our best- and hope for the best. That's all we can do, Lady. But we're all willing to stand behind you and fight, when the time comes."

Raenel could have warned her. A flash of temper swept through her. During any of her visits, she could have spared an hour to tell Tarine about this. Or at least smacked Tarine over the head with it if she wasn't getting the lesson. But the rage faded as quickly as it had appeared.

Raenel _had_ warned her. That's part of what she'd been talking about this last time. They'd talked about the coming upheaval for Hayll. It had been part of the question she'd asked. Tarine just hadn't recognized it at the time. She was somewhat chagrined that it hadn't occurred to her that part of the bloodshed would be shouldered by her Court. What did Raenel always say?

_Everything has its price_.

As Tarine furrowed her brow and tried to shake the image of Braetyn caught in Meredith's clutches, she hoped that it was one she could live with when this was over. And that meant stepping up to do what Raenel said she believed could be done.

"Well, if we're going to fight, I suppose we'd best get to making sure we're prepared for it," she said finally.

"And where would you like to begin?"

Tarine picked up the treaty Raenel had brought from one of her Sisters in this part of the city, Gwynn. The young Queen had only recently set up her own Court, and was asking for Tarine's help to form an alliance. Not just an alliance. She was proposing to drive Lady Jaemie out of the district between them.

Of course, when this letter was drafted, Meredith hadn't announced her campaign against Dhemlan yet. Back then, she might have considered taking a risk like that. Now, she was hesitant to give Meredith or her coven bitches a reason to look in her direction too closely. Or Lady Jaemie, for that matter.

An attack now would do more harm than good. But that didn't mean she would throw away an opportunity to unite with Lady Gwynn and her court. They may not be as established as Tarine's was, but Raenel said she'd been working in that district nearly as long. She suspected that the Lady had a First Circle long ago, but didn't know it.

Just like _she_ hadn't known it. Like that both Howe and Braetyn had been in her Queen's Triangle before any of them even knew what it meant. Raenel had tried to break it to her gently, but it had still been a shock. Tarine hoped she could be there to see it happen to another Queen one day. Hell, maybe one day it would be her giving the speech. If they survived this.

She shook her head, trying to focus on the task at hand. Braetyn was waiting patiently for her thoughts to circle back, but it was clear she'd been distracted for quite some time. Tarine cleared her throat and held up the letter.

"With this, I think. Lady Gwynn's district shares a border on the other side of Lady Jaemie's. We were thinking to combine our resources and take control of it."

When she paused for breath, Tarine saw how nervous that idea made him.

"Rest assured, Lord Braetyn, that plan will be set aside- for now. But it wouldn't hurt to strengthen ties between her Court and ours in the meantime."

"Were you thinking to send an envoy?"

"Possibly," she replied slowly. "Although I think that would be best decided once we convene a meeting with the First Circle. Can you spread the word that we'll meet this afternoon?"

"Your will is my life, Lady."

As he slipped out of the salon to find the rest of the First Circle, Tarine tried not to fixate on how literal those words could turn out to be.

**2/Terreille**

Collette nodded at Lord Yemar, signaling that the audience was concluded for today. The room cleared out, leaving only a few members of her First Circle behind. She leaned forward on her elbows and blew out a breath.

"That was exhausting."

"I'm wondering if we need two sessions during the month," Lord Correy suggested. "It's just too much anymore to fit everyone into one session."

"Can we afford to draw any more attention on us than we already do now," she countered. "It's dangerous enough that we convene this often. Especially now."

Lord Yemar considered her question for a few minutes. Of all her First Circle, he was most experienced when it came to avoiding Meredith. Which had made him perfect as her Master of the Guard. So if he had an opinion on the matter, she'd welcome hearing it.

"Well," he drawled slowly. "It might serve us better to break it up a little. Smaller gatherings are less likely to be marked by anyone thinking to look. But you get a crowd like this one together…"

"I agree, Lady," Prince Faeston chimed in. "These audiences used to be much smaller. It was both practical and prudent to meet infrequently. But you saw them today- almost two dozen showed up this time."

"Unless you're planning to make some kind of demonstration like they're doing lately in the next district over…"

"Which we're _not_," Collette spat out with a snarl.

Lord Yemar held up his hands in surrender.

"Of course not. But what I'm saying is that in the other districts, that's what is happening when a crowd like this gathers. And if that's not what's going on, someone is going to start asking what _is_ going on."

She sat back in her chair and weighed the advice of her Warlords. As she turned them over and over again, she fiddled with the cuffs of her sleeves. Lady Damelle was constantly giving her grief that one day she'd fray the sleeves of all of her gowns into pieces. She sighed and forced herself to leave it be.

"All right, I'm thinking it's time we changed our audience schedule. Lord Correy, can you please take down notes of our meeting and keep any decisions for the Court records?"

"Will do, Lady."

Now what was she going to do? Collette still wasn't all that used to making decisions on her own. Not even after that execution of Warlord. Shouldn't be surprising, though. Earlier this year, Raenel was ruling this district. And now she was expected to do it. Time to make Raenel proud and think of a solution to the problem.

"Lady?" Yemar prompted.

"Youth networks," she blurted out.

Everyone looked around at one another, confused.

"What?"

"If we're not going to meet once a month anymore, we're going to need a system to decide who gets seen when," Collette began. Her voice gained strength as she began to develop a clearer idea.

"We could just divide the district into segments and give each one a week to bring issues to the Court," Faeston said.

"True- that is one way to do it. But I'm not sure this is the time to start dividing up the community. Even for a good reason. We need to stick together to fend off what's coming."

Some murmurs and few heads nodding. Collette took courage from that to go on with her idea.

"So I was thinking we enlist the help of some of the youths in the districts. No one thinks twice seeing them milling around or roaming the streets in Draega. Why not use it to help deliver messages between the Court and the community leaders?"

"And how would that solve the issue with the audiences?"

"We could notify the community leaders about an upcoming meeting using those messages. And," she continued, "have them collect petitions for review. We'd select a half dozen of the most urgent to hear at the audience."

"Petitions, huh?"

"Queen Tarine up in the northeast has been running her audiences that way for years now. Not with the whole youth network idea, but the petitions system. Raenel told me about it, and I think maybe it's time to use it here."

"We could try it and see how it works for a few months," Correy said with a shrug. "I'll need to reorganize some of the file cabinets in the records room to make a space for the added paperwork, but it'd be doable."

"Do you think the young witches and Warlords would take the job seriously," Faeston posed to Yemar.

"Hard to say," the Master of the Guard replied, rubbing his chin.

"They might if we paid them," Collette proposed.

"Whoa- pay them? With what? Right now the Court coffers are spread pretty thin."

That from her Steward. She knew Correy'd squeal the loudest at any mention of money. But she could win him over. Hopefully.

"Just a few copper marks apiece. And maybe offer them an opportunity to train as apprentices in the Court in exchange. It would give us the extra help we need and provide them with something meaningful to do in the community."

"I think it would be worth a try, Correy. A dozen copper marks every few weeks won't break the treasury."

Collette flashed a grateful look across the room to Lord Stargel. He winked back at her. One down. But if she could convince Yemar or Faeston, the others would follow suit.

"The baker near where I live has two daughters," Lady Damelle offered. "One of them is abysmal at baking. The last bread she made was harder than quarried stone. He's at a loss what to do with her."

"I know of a few others with similar stories," Yemar admitted.

"So are we really considering this?"

"Looks like you're going to have to pry open the strong box, Correy," Faeston teased. "Maybe some of those marks you've hoarded will finally see the light of day."

"Only if we're all agreed," Collette insisted. "What say you?"

Their answer was quickly given- a unanimous assent to the plan. She smiled and stood up. Slowly. Mother Night was she stiff from sitting in that chair for so long. If nothing else, she'd welcome a change in the audience routine if it meant she didn't have to sit for so long at a time.

"If it pleases the Court, let's gather a list of potential candidates to approach and we'll look them over in the morning."

"Tomorrow morning will be fine, Lady."

"Well, if the Court has nothing else to discuss, we may adjourn for the afternoon."

Lord Correy and Lord Stargel bowed slightly and headed off to the Steward's room. She was sure between the two of them they'd find a way to finance her plan. And the challenge would keep Correy busy for a long while.

Collette was still musing over that idea when she saw Faeston lean over to Yemar and nudge him.

"Did you want to bring it up, or should I?"

"Bring what up," she asked warily.

"It'd be best if it were you. I didn't see it for myself, anyway."

"Tell me _what_?"

"We weren't sure if we should tell you until we'd verified it's true or not."

"Oh Mother Night- what is it?"

It was just the three of them now in the room. Faeston moved closer to her and rested his hand lightly on hers.

"Sweetheart, it's about Lauren."

Apprehension made her throat dry, and Collette tried to swallow several times before she could answer.

"Did you find her?"

He said nothing at first, stroking her arm soothingly.

"What was left of her."

Collette burst into tears and covered her face with her hands. Lauren was one of the first witches she'd gotten close to. A friend. She had disappeared two weeks ago- just out running an errand. One minute she'd been with her escort, and then had vanished seemingly into thin air. No one had seen her in the district since.

Foolishly, she'd hoped that her friend would turn up again unharmed. But deep down, Collette knew that Lauren wasn't coming back. And now it was certain. She continued to cry, beyond caring that Lauren's story was a common one in Draega. Witches and Warlords died every day. But dammit this was her friend.

"I know, honey, I know," Faeston murmured. "She was a close friend to all of us."

He'd wrapped his arms around her, letting her cry into his shirtfront. Collette indulged in her grief for a few more minutes before she took a few steadying breaths. She was Queen of this district, and there were things the Queen was expected to do when a member of her Court was killed. Friend or not.

She brushed his arm lightly to let him know that she was calm again. Faeston pulled away, concern filling his eyes. He was going to fuss something awful tonight. But Collette wasn't going to complain. Later, she'd be glad to let him fuss over her. Right now, she had to finish being Queen Collette.

"Your report, Prince. Where did you find her?"

"Lady Julaene's district, Lady."

She might have guessed. Lady Julaene ruled the district directly east of Collette's. A district firmly in the shadow of Meredith and her coven. She'd been to it once or twice a very long time ago. But not since Raenel had created this district as a refuge.

"Do we know how or why she was there?"

"Not as far as any of us have been able to determine," Faeston admitted reluctantly. "My best guess so far is that she may have been recruiting witches and Warlords for our district."

"And got caught, you think."

"Not unlikely," Yemar grumbled. "Lauren was always an advocate for expansion. Too reckless."

"She knew better than to go into Lady Julaene's district alone, though."

"It's just a theory."

They would probably never know what had really lured Lauren into that place.

"What happened to her?"

"Lady, I don't think you want to hear…"

"What did you see, Prince Faeston," Collette commanded in her most Queen-like voice.

He bowed his head and blew out a breath. But he didn't argue with her again. Not against that voice.

"She was staked out in the main square- charred down to the bone from witchfire," Faeston said at last in a quiet whisper. "I don't know if her fingers were missing because they'd been burned off, but they were gone. My guess is that she'd been there for a few days at least."

Only the strongest of wills kept her from falling to pieces again. Or from throwing up all over the floor. But Collette held firm, remembering the lessons that Raenel had taught her. If she wanted to do right by Lauren, she'd be strong.

"Anything else?"

"Lauren wasn't the first to be burnt in that square."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Lady Julaene has ordered the executions of several witches in the past week, from what I heard. The people there spoke of hunting for Dhemlan spies- and making an example of them."

"But Lauren was Hayllian."

Faeston nodded slowly.

"So were the other witches that were executed."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"I'm afraid it does," Yemar spoke up grimly. "If a Queen's authority is threatened and weakening, it's a perfect guise to change the tide in her favor."

"He's right, Lady. It's a new twist on an old tactic."

Obviously, the look on her face showed that she didn't quite understand what they were trying to tell her. Her Master of the Guard gestured to himself and to Faeston.

"For the past eight hundred years, it was us- Blood males. Meredith and her coven branded us as the enemy and turned all witches against us. Unhappy with how hard life is for you, she'd said. Blame the Blood males- it's their fault."

"And no one pays attention to who is really behind it," Collette said slowly.

"Exactly."

"So if it worked so well all these years, why is Meredith switching things up now?"

"I suspect it's the loss of the Rings," Faeston answered with a brittle smile. "Without them, it's not so easy to keep a leash on Warlords and Princes. I'm not at all surprised that she dropped that angle like a hot rock."

Yemar paced the floor, hands crossed behind his back. Collette listened to the rhythmic sound of his boots on the stones, fussing with her gown sleeves again. Neither of them interrupted her thoughts as she worked through what they'd said. They simply waited.

She didn't know enough about this thing with the Dhemlan spies. Raenel hadn't said anything about it when she had been here last month. Which meant she either didn't know, or thought this was something Collette needed to discover on her own. Neither was an idea she found appealing.

Worse yet, if she wanted to learn more about what Meredith and the coven were up to, she would have to send someone out in to Julaene's district again. And having heard what happened to Lauren, that was not an easy order to give. The next person who went into that district may end up crisped as a spy, too.

But Collette was far less willing to sit blind and deaf to the danger until it knocked on her door. She sighed and rubbed her temples vigorously.

"We'll have to discuss with the rest of the First Circle how to gather more information about what Meredith and her coven are planning. Lauren's death was a warning- I don't need another to know that we have a battle ahead of us. So let's be ready for it."

"As you command, Lady," Yemar replied. "I'll be sure that they're briefed before our meeting tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Warlord."

He cast a sharp look at Faeston, and back.

"If I have your leave, I think I'll see to that now."

"Of course."

When he'd gone, Faeston held out a hand to her. He switched easily out of his role for the meeting into the role of Consort ready to comfort his Lady. Probably why Yemar had been so quick to be somewhere else. Collette was immediately hoisted to her feet. Faeston kissed her temple and let her head rest against his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I know that was hard for you."

"But I had to do it. For Lauren. She would have wanted me to fight back. She'd want me to do whatever I have to do so it doesn't happen to someone else."

"You're a good Queen and a good friend," he said, giving her an affectionate squeeze.

They left the audience room. Collette was so drained that she really didn't pay much attention to where they were going. Not until she realized Faeston had led her past the public salons and dining room, up to the private suites on the second floor. They stopped, and she stared dully at the door to her suite. Collette turned to him with a quizzical look.

"You're going to take a nap for the rest of the afternoon," he answered to her unspoken question.

"But…"

"Nope, no arguments. And if you behave yourself, maybe later this evening I'll let you drag out that blasted game of Cradle."

A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. She was so amused by his offering to play Cradle that she might just forgive him for that bit about behaving.

"Is that a promise?"

"A promise."

Collette rose on tiptoe and kissed him. Faeston's arms closed around her waist and held her tight. Several minutes passed before he released her, slightly dazed.

"Go on and get inside before I forget that I brought you up here for a nap," he growled.

She kissed him once more lightly and turned away.

"Remember- you promised. We're going to play Cradle tonight. And no snarling."

As she shut the door behind her, Collette hear his muffled reply.

"I only promised to play. I didn't promise anything about snarling."

Laughing to herself, she found a comfortable pair of pajamas and slid into bed. Maybe she'd let him win once, just to show him how much his support had meant to her today. Maybe.

**3/Terreille**

As she studied the grim looks from her First Circle, Gwynn knew she wasn't going to like what they were about to tell her. Her Master of the Guard, Lord Nareth, looked especially forbidding at the moment. Although to be fair, he wasn't known for being cheerful. But when the rest of them looked that way it meant trouble.

"What is the Court's pleasure," she asked, opening the meeting for discussion.

"Well, I dunno about pleasure…" Lord Turrin muttered, "but I suppose we'd best start with the report from Lady Jaemie's district."

"Not another one," Gwynn replied in dismay.

"Two more witches executed in the past week. It's getting worse over there."

"And it's the same story as the last ones?"

Both Warlords nodded, but it was Nareth who spoke first.

"Yes, Lady. Accused of being Dhemlan spies and tortured for not confessing to it."

"As if confessing would have done any good. She tortures them either way."

Well she'd been right. She definitely hadn't wanted to hear any of this. Lady Jaemie had become much stronger in the last few weeks than she had been when Raenel was here. All thanks to this new doctrine passed down from Meredith. The Queen was claiming Dhemlan was trying to take over Hayll.

Ridiculous. Dhemlans weren't at all interested in Hayll. _Maybe if they had been all those centuries ago, we might not have seen the rise of a tyrant like Meredith_.

Gwynn couldn't stop that thought. Raenel had told her several times why Dhemlan hadn't stepped in to save them from Meredith and Valinna. She still thought that they should have done it anyway.

Thoughts for another day. Gwynn tucked them away and turned her attention back to her First Circle.

"I want patrols of the border between her district and ours doubled," she ordered. "If Lady Jaemie thinks she's coming hunting in our community for her political games, she's mistaken."

"As you command, Lady," Nareth replied.

"Also, I don't want anyone crossing over into the other districts- especially hers- without consent from the Court first."

Raised eyebrows around the circle.

"Are we closing the district, Lady?"

"Not closing it," she assured them. "Just restricting traffic for the time being."

"Won't that raise suspicion if anyone in Lady Jaemie's court come knocking? They'll find it strange if suddenly they're turned away without an explanation."

It would. Gwynn sat back in her chair and stared at the plastered ceiling overhead. She tried to concentrate on an answer to Nareth's question, but she was distracted by the panels that needed repairing. Tomorrow she'd have to meet with a carpenter. Much more pleasant to think about that problem than this thing with Lady Jaemie.

What could she do to protect them?

After several more minutes of staring, Gwynn thought she came up with an idea. If nothing else, she could at least get their opinion on the plan.

"Then we give them an explanation."

"And what would that be, Lady?"

"Make coming into our district sound as unappealing as possible," she explained. "For instance- who would want to walk into a place ravaged by illness? Definitely not anyone in Meredith's coven."

Turrin caught on first.

"You want us to imply to any unwelcome visitor that they'll become infected with some terrible illness if they continue."

Gwynn thought for a minute or two in the pause following his question.

"Implications are all well and good, but giving them a show might help convince them. A few strategically placed bins of used healing supplies would be a good start. And we have a few Black Widows who can manage illusion spells."

"You're really serious about this, aren't you?"

"Yes, Lord Nareth, I am absolutely serious."

Chairs creaked as several of them shifted in their seats. Someone coughed, but Gwynn didn't see who. She nervously awaited what they'd say about her plan, and hoped it wouldn't be too critical.

"It might work," Nareth said slowly. "But my biggest concern is what happens if it _doesn't_ work. What do we do if one of them comes into the district and realizes that it's only a bluff?"

"It would put us in a tight spot, Lady. On one hand, trying to keep the witch quiet might get us noticed by Lady Jaemie or the rest of the coven. On the other, letting her go back with news of the lie would bring them down on us, anyway."

Damn. She hadn't quite thought it through that far, but Turrin was right. Without knowing for certain that the illusions would fool those bitches, it was too dangerous to use them. Gwynn snarled in frustration.

"Yeah, forget that idea. It's too risky."

"Let's not be too quick to toss it out," her Steward, Prince Ellard spoke up suddenly. "I think we could pull it off with some planning."

"What kind of planning did you have in mind?"

"Everyone's thinking we only have two outcomes. Either they buy the illusions and leave, or they find us out."

Turrin looked perplexed, scratching his head.

"What other outcome could there be?"

Ellard ran a hand absently over the arm of his chair, seeming to waver in his decision whether to continue or not. But he shrugged and said it, anyway.

"Supposing one of them does get sick? Sick enough to keep the others from coming around here."

Gwynn was shocked. Was Ellard really suggesting they force a witch to become ill? She was pretty sure that Raenel wouldn't approve of this if she were here to hear it. It sounded a little too close to something Meredith and her coven might do. Even if it was to protect her own people.

Some of the other First Circle members were looking as uncomfortable with the idea as she was. But Turrin and Nareth were merely thoughtful. Mother Night. They were seriously considering the idea.

"Just how were you going to accomplish that, Ellard," Nareth wanted to know.

"My youngest daughter got into something she shouldn't have last month and we took her to a Healer. The witch gave her a tonic to help her rid it from her body."

"I don't think we need the details what _that _means," Turrin said hastily.

"No, likely not. But if that tonic were concentrated into something slightly more powerful and offered in a drink…it would create the illusion of being violently ill."

Gwynn felt she needed to speak up now before this went any further.

"Healers aren't supposed to hurt people. They're _Healers_, Prince."

Everyone's head turned in her direction, but no one said anything. She stood up and walked to the center of the half-circle of males in her First Circle.

"I want to protect our people as much as all of you, but this idea is dangerous."

"It's not as risky as you might think, Lady."

"I didn't say risky, Warlord. In truth, it's a brilliant plan that would probably work perfectly."

"Then why…"

She silenced them with a sharp look.

"I said it's dangerous," Gwynn emphasized. "It sends the message that we're no better than Meredith."

"This is nothing like…"

"Like a witch who poisons Blood males with _safframate_? Meredith and her coven rationalize that just as well as what you're trying to do now. It 'provides a distraction for males so they don't plan rebellions', they say. Besides, the coven 'needs serviced. All the better if males are able to perform'. Any of that sound familiar?"

No one wanted to meet her eyes, finding anything else in the room to look at instead. She wasn't sure if it was the mention of _safframate _or that she was getting through to them. Gwynn kept going anyway.

"We've all heard from Lady Raenel what the original purpose of _safframate _was for, and how it was corrupted by the Blood before us. Corrupted to the point that I don't think we'll ever undo the damage done by it.

"If we ask this Healer to make a tonic that essentially becomes a poison, how long will it take for that idea to spread? Where would it stop and who would start asking? I don't want to see us get to the point where people are afraid to visit a Healer because they don't know if they'll walk away with a cure or a poison.

"Had I known where this would end, I would have never…" Gwynn drew an unsteady breath. "I'd rather risk the bloodshed of an open confrontation."

When she turned away from them, she heard someone stand up. Gwynn ignored the sound and kept moving. Right now, she couldn't help wondering if her instincts had been wrong when she'd chosen this Court. Raenel had told her that she'd chosen well, but had she really?

What kind of males had she selected if they had _this_ in them? And Gwynn had to admit that she didn't know what kind of Queen she was not to have seen it. She just wanted to curl up somewhere far away from this room and the males in it.

"Lady," Nareth said, very close behind her.

"Yes, Warlord?" she replied, feeling hollowed out.

"We never meant to do any serious harm."

"I know."

"It was wrong to suggest we tamper with a Healer's Craft. You were right to be critical."

She heard genuine remorse in his voice, which was the only reason she found the strength to turn around again. Turrin was just as downcast, and Ellard looked ready to die of shame. He tried twice to add something of his own to what Nareth had said. Finally, he managed to get the words out.

"Lady, I'm so very sorry that I've disappointed you by making such an unworthy suggestion."

"You meant well, Prince."

"And my best intentions could possibly have destroyed what we want to save."

He sounded sincere. But Gwynn was so shaken that she wasn't sure she could trust the words. She had to know. Or she couldn't call herself their Queen anymore.

Just like Raenel taught her, Gwynn sent out a subtle psychic probe in the room to get a sense of how her Court was feeling. Distress travelled strongly back to her. And fear that this error was serious enough that she'd dismiss them. Ellard was especially worried, regretting that he may have just doomed any chance to show her what he could do for the district.

She reeled in the probe, feeling her own doubts begin to dissipate. It was still unnerving that they'd come up with the suggestion in the first place. But at least she didn't sense any true malice in them. Her instincts about them had just been temporarily shaken, that's all. Gwynn managed to find a tiny smile.

"Good thing that we're all in this together so we can help put each other on the right path again when we go astray."

Her words healed some of the discord between them. Not all of it, though. It would be a while before they could get back the balance they'd had. But for now she could see gratitude in their eyes to know that she'd forgiven them enough to keep the Court. Ellard nodded slowly.

"A good thing indeed, Lady."

"What are we going to do to get on the right path again," Turrin asked tentatively. "We're back where we started."

"I don't have any answers to that right now," she admitted.

"If I may suggest- why don't we hold off on making any changes regarding visitors to the district. We can restrict our own people from going into other districts, but wait until we have a better plan before we bar anyone from entering."

Gwynn considered Nareth's suggestion and decided that it was the best action to take for now. As much as she wanted to keep Lady Jaemie and anyone else from Meredith's coven out of her district, it wasn't safe to act on it until they had a plan. And maybe after a few more meetings, they'd come up with one that everyone could live with.

"It's a cautious road to take, but I think it's the right one for now." She cast her gaze around the semi-circle and let out a breath. "I don't know about all of you, but I'm exhausted. If there's nothing else pressing, why don't we adjourn until tomorrow?"

"A break would be welcome- for all of us," Turrin said truthfully. "And it would give us time to reach out to the community about the new restriction about the district border."

"Very good. We'll pick this discussion up again in the morning."

With that, everyone trickled out of the room. Eventually, Gwynn was the only one left. She collapsed into her chair and ran her hands through her hair. If she had too many more days like this, she'd wind up bald in no time.

_Raenel, I could really use your help right now_, she thought plaintively. _I sure hope you'll be back soon so I can pick your brain for a solution to this mess._


	27. Chapter 26: A Sister's Promise

**1/Kaeleer**

Lilith was jarred out of sleep for the umpteenth time this morning. Despite not having to share a bed with Alex again, the nightmares had come back last night. She'd tried to fight it and get as much sleep as she could, but it was time to give up.

That is, if she could get out of bed. The sleeping kitties were taking up most of the room, and wouldn't appreciate being woken up. With a sigh, Lilith wiggled her way around them.

Sunlight poured in through the open window, letting her know it was well past morning. No one had come looking for her, so apparently there was no rush for the answers she'd held back last night. Lilith laid a hand on the sill. The power of the Black hummed in the stone. So, that's why no one was in a hurry. Daemon had sealed the Hall. Surreal had been right. He wasn't going to let her walk away now.

So what did she want to do about it?

In reality, she could make a speedy exit right now and no one would be the wiser for a few hours or so. But then they'd know about her Jewels. If she ever came back to the Hall after that, she'd have to admit to the SaDiablos that she wore more than just the Sapphire.

Worse than that, it would leave Alex here alone with them. After what she'd seen last night, Lilith knew that was not something he was ready for just yet. Two days of travelling had given him a good start, but it hadn't been enough. Anything could set him off, and if she weren't here to control the rage…

_I can't be responsible for what might happen to the Blood here, especially 'Nelle and her family._

The selfish part of her was also worried about what Alex might say if he were to explain things without her around. Especially about that last night in Meredith's Hall. Daemon was going to want a better explanation about their escape from Draega, and he would get it from whomever was available. At least if she were here, she had a better chance that of keeping that mess under wraps.

That meant she had to stay. For now.

Lilith stared out the window, but not really seeing anything. Her thoughts were still on Alex. She knew that she was only forestalling what had to happen. Daemon needed to know what she'd done to him. Lilith just wanted a little more time before that day came- before she'd destroy her connection to the one place she felt at home.

With a sigh, Lilith turned back to the inside of the suite. Might as well get started with this day. It was bound to be a long one. She called in a comfortable shirt and pants. If she was going to have an uncomfortable conversation, she wasn't going to be wearing any damn dress. Daemon could growl at her all he liked that she hadn't dressed 'formal'.

The tunic caught on her elbow as she pulled it on, and she cursed herself for not choosing something with buttons. But this was the only thing she had that wasn't in serious need of laundering. She was still muttering darkly when 'Nelle came in.

"Oh good- you're up."

"Did someone finally start to worry if I was still alive?"

"Don't worry. You didn't miss much at breakfast."

"Except breakfast. Cooked by Mrs. Beale."

"Well, yeah."

"Did the Prince at least make it down in time?"

"Yes, he did," 'Nelle said cautiously.

Lilith managed to poke her head out of the tunic and pulled it the rest of the way on. As she reached for the pants, she watched her friend cross the room.

"He was all right, right?" she asked just as cautiously.

"Just a bit…edgy, that's all."

"Well, if it was just edgy, that's no worse than I expected. It'll be a while before the Prince is comfortable here."

"I wasn't complaining," 'Nelle replied quickly, while giving Lilith an odd look. "I'm just glad that you did it and he's really here. The rest will come in time."

Lilith said nothing, but nodded. Meanwhile, 'Nelle perched on the edge of the bed and fussed with Haedyn's fur. The Arcerian raised his head sleepily, but decided he was too tired to care. She studied her friend carefully. Obviously, she was here for a reason.

"Okay, out with it."

'Nelle heaved a sigh.

"You've really got Papa and Uncle Lucivar upset."

"So I've noticed," Lilith said, gesturing to the window.

"They're not going to let you leave this time."

"Give it a few days. They'll want to get the Prince acclimated to Kaeleer, and won't have time for thoughts about me. A few days of nagging at Prince Sadi and he'll more than happy to drop the shield so I can go."

"Do you have to?"

"I can't very well stay here," she snapped, sticking her foot through a pant leg.

"Why not?" 'Nelle shot her a consternated look. "I'd be happy to have you stay a while. Adrienne and Charlotte would come for a visit and we could all see each other at the same time."

Lilith buttoned the pants and considered 'Nelle's offer. Having the four of them together would make for an interesting idea. And possibly useful. More than once, she'd heard Daemon and Lucivar thank the Darkness that it was rare to see more than two of them together. She chuckled to herself.

"Well, that might be more effective than nagging. Have you brought this up to your father yet?"

"I thought it would be a fun surprise."

Lilith doubled over from laughing so hard, her hand gripping the bedpost for support. A fun surprise indeed. She composed herself and sat next to 'Nelle.

"I'm not sure he'd agree with your definition of fun, but I suppose we could find out."

"So you're going to stay?"

"For a while."

They were silent for a few minutes before 'Nelle spoke again.

"Even though you could leave right now if you really wanted to…couldn't you?"

Lilith didn't answer, and looked straight ahead.

"I never realized none of them could tell you were a Black Widow until last night. When you'd said never to make a big deal of it, I didn't realize you were keeping it a secret."

She lifted her shoulders in a small shrug.

"I may have been."

"So back to my original point. To fool Papa, you have to wear at least the Black."

"I don't have to. If they don't know to look for it and I'm here for only a few days at a time, it's not an easy thing to notice."

"Fair enough. But setting all that aside- you do wear the Black, don't you?"

"Do you really think I'm crazy enough to wander Terreille wearing just the Sapphire," Lilith asked, slanting a bemused look at her friend.

"I had hoped not."

"It's not a big deal."

That did not work at all. 'Nelle looked wholly unconvinced, shaking her head at Lilith.

"Nuh uh. You can try that argument on someone else, but I'm not buying it."

"C'mon, 'Nelle. It doesn't change who I am."

"That's not what I'm talking about."

"Isn't that what's most important, though?"

"It's important, Lilith, but you can't brush the rest aside like it doesn't matter. You wear the Sapphire…but you admit to wearing the Black. Don't you see the problem there?"

She did. And so would everyone else the minute 'Nelle blabbed it to the rest of the SaDiablos. Unless she could convince her friend to keep it quiet. But 'Nelle was going to demand information out of her in exchange. Lilith hoped it wouldn't be too much.

"What do you want me to say, 'Nelle?"

"Well I'd like to know how you can wear both Sapphire and Black. Even if you had made an Offering- and we both know you _haven't_\- it's just not possible to descend that far. So there has to be another answer."

"I suspect you have an alternate theory to propose?"

"I think you have more in common with one of my other friends than you've admitted."

Lilith wanted to pretend she didn't understand what 'Nelle was trying to say, but she couldn't lie to her friend. She'd made a point never to lie outright to 'Nelle since they'd met. Avoiding bringing something up was one thing. Now she'd been asked a direct question.

"Perhaps," she replied in an unhappy grumble.

"It's not just the Sapphire and the Black, is it?"

"No, it's not."

"And if I ask you, you'll tell me what they are?"

"If you really want to know, I'll tell you," Lilith promised reluctantly.

Now 'Nelle seemed to hesitate, as if unsure she really wanted to ask her next question. Once the question was asked, there'd be no going back. They'd both have to live with the answer. But as expected, 'Nelle's curiosity got the better of that worry.

"All right, spill. What are your Jewels?"

"Before I tell you, promise me one thing."

"You don't want me to tell Papa, right?"

"Or anyone else. I'm telling you- just you. A Sister's Promise?"

Lilith held out her right hand, palm up, waiting for 'Nelle to decide if she wanted to accept. If she did, the penalty for breaking her promise would be painful- and if Lilith chose, deadly. Her friend didn't take long to make her choice, and laid her right hand on Lilith's, palm down.

"A Sister's Promise- I won't tell anyone," she swore dutifully.

_No going back now_, Lilith thought to herself. In truth, telling Daemon was the least of her worries about any of this. While unarguably unpleasant, it wasn't what scared her most about revealing her Jewels to 'Nelle.

No, the worst could be so much more than that.

"All right. Clear off the bed a minute and I'll call them in."

They both stood, and Lilith inhaled deeply. It had been a very long time since she'd seen all her Jewels together at once, since she usually called in only one at a time for her pendant. So this would be a new experience for her, too.

Lilith began simple, calling in her lightest Jewels. The White was first. Gradually, she added each rank up through the Black. Two full sets of all thirteen ranks. All uncut. 'Nelle said nothing the whole time, but stared at them intently. She was about to say something when Lilith held her hand for silence.

"I'm not finished yet."

That's when she called in her Ebon-Black Jewels- all seven of them. Thirty-three Jewels in all. It was more power than anyone had ever held since Kaeleer's Heart walked the Realms. In some ways, it was more even than Jaenelle Angelline had commanded. 'Nelle studied them warily before she was able to say anything.

"Mother Night, Lilith," she whispered. "With these you could end the world."

**2/Kaeleer**

The threads were in place.

Tersa stared at her tangled web. Stared through it into the vision it held. Witch had returned to Kaeleer, and she'd brought the Lost Dreamer with her. But the time in Hayll had only honed the two edged sword. A razor sharp blade poised to sever what it was meant to protect.

Only the Lost Dreamer wasn't the one sharpening it. Witch's hand was on the whetting stone, and every time she touched the blade, it cut deeper. Severed the threads of the web a little more. She would sacrifice the Weaver, thinking that she would save the web. Could not see the Weaver _was_ the web.

Shadows in the echoes; Echoes in the shadows. They were growing stronger.

Tersa had done what she could to warn her Little Sister and her Boy. They would help the Lost Dreamer. And maybe- just maybe- he could reconnect the threads and save the Dream before it was too late.

"Tersa?"

A voice. But not part of the vision. She shifted her eyes away from the web to the journeymaid at the door.

"Tersa, it's midday."

The midday meal would be on the table. It was fourth day- a beef stew with noodles. She nodded at the witch, but turned back to the web. The threads tugged at her. It needed something. Still incomplete.

After a moment, Tersa picked up the spidersilk and added another thread. The vision in the web shifted. A half-heard cry in the darkness. She listened carefully. The cry wandered- a voice lost in a storm. It blew one way and then another, never sure what it wanted to be.

Tersa tensed as she saw what _could _be if Witch heeded that cry, but not the warning behind it.

"The final slice," she whispered to herself.

"Is everything all right, Tersa?"

"If the web breaks, the cry becomes the weapon."

"The web is safe, Tersa," the witch assured her. "The one you've built there is much more stable than the last."

She couldn't see. Only a journeymaid, still untrained in tangled webs. She couldn't see that for all the stability, this web was more precarious than the other. Tersa tried to find the words to show the witch the truth.

"Tethers and string," she said dismissively. "They mean nothing."

"I promise you, they will hold just fine."

Frustrated, Tersa turned away. It would do no good to try again. Maybe she could get her Little Sister to understand when she visited. She'd promised to come again on first day. The web could wait until then.

"Yes," Tersa agreed at last. "It will hold."

**3/Kaeleer**

There was no denying it, and Lilith wouldn't lie to her friend. She laced and unlaced her fingers in her lap.

"I know."

"This is why you don't want to make an Offering, isn't it?"

"This is why."

"I wonder what you'd walk away with if you did."

Lilith didn't have to wonder. She already knew what she'd wear if she made an Offering. That kind of power wasn't something she ever wanted to claim, and it wasn't something she was going to tell 'Nelle unless she asked directly. So she shrugged.

"We're not gonna find out, because I'm not doing it."

"Your moontimes must be just awful," 'Nelle commented after a pause.

"They certainly aren't comfortable, that's for sure."

She watched as 'Nelle stepped closer to the bed and seemed to puzzle over something.

"Why'd you pick Sapphire?"

"It made the most sense," Lilith explained, hoping that would be enough. It wasn't.

"You're going to have to say more than that."

"Dark enough that it wasn't strange that I would feel comfortable around your family, but not dark enough to be of interest."

"Lilith, you seem to forget that my aunt is a Purple-Dusk witch."

"Not that kind of interest," she hissed.

Although she was very glad that neither Daemonar nor Andulvar had noticed her in _that_ way. Or that 'Nelle didn't have any other Warlord Prince brothers that may have tried to claim her. Mother Night, what an unpleasant thought. Thankfully, 'Nelle interrupted it by laughing.

"You should see the look on your face. It looks like you just swallowed a pickleberry whole."

"It's not funny."

"Is, too," 'Nelle snickered.

"_Anyway_," Lilith cut in. "I meant that I didn't want any of your male relatives to get any ideas of interfering in my life more than they already do."

"Well then you might as well tell them what you really wear now, because that boat has sailed after last night."

"We're not telling anyone anything," Lilith muttered darkly. "Enough people know as it is."

"Who else knows?"

Oh hell, she shouldn't have said that. 'Nelle was looking at her and worked out the answer herself.

"It's my brother, isn't it? He knows."

"Kinda," she admitted.

"Kinda like what?"

"Well, he knows that I wear a Sapphire, Ebon-gray and Ebon-Black. But nothing about the rest of these- or how many."

"And how'd that happen?" She paused with a significant and oh-so-irritating look. "Or is that something _else_ I'm not allowed to ask about?"

Lilith smiled at 'Nelle's sass. She was relieved that her friend wasn't running like a scared rabbit after seeing how much power she wielded. Even if the friendship had happened by accident and against her better judgment, Lilith admitted to herself that she needed it. Especially now. She would have been sorry to have lost it.

"No, I suppose you can ask. But I ought to get these put away before anyone else walks in and sees them."

Lilith vanished all but one of her Sapphire Jewels and returned it to its place in her pendant. She re-keyed the illusion that masked the ones she'd hidden away.

"There, much better."

"That is one nifty illusion spell," 'Nelle said with a low whistle. "I can't sense them- even using Twilight's Dawn. You'll have to show me how you did it."

"Were you switching topics, then?"

"No, save that for later. Right now I definitely want to hear how Alex found out about your darker Jewels."

"He wasn't supposed to."

"Big surprise," 'Nelle said, rolling her eyes.

"But I really didn't have a choice about the Ebon-gray, since I needed it to undo a bit of Craft that was keeping him in Meredith's court."

'Nelle's face fell, eyes clouding with sadness. She didn't have to ask what Lilith meant, but she would do it, anyway. It took several tries before she could summon the words.

"That wouldn't be a Ring of Obedience, would it?"

"You've seen his Jewels, 'Nelle. What else could have chained him there?"

"I didn't want to believe it, but I suppose you're right. You really did need to be the one to go, then. I guess I could have done it, too…"

"I wouldn't have risked you going. Twilight's Dawn has the power of the Ebon-gray, but I'm not sure if that would have been enough to release the spell. It definitely doesn't have enough power to finish what else I went there to do, anyway."

'Nelle's mood lightened. She grabbed Lilith's arm in excitement and pulled both of them down to sit on the bed. Haedyn barely avoided having his tail squashed.

"Were you able to do it? I didn't get a chance to ask last night."

Lilith nodded.

"Every Ring is destroyed. Meredith and her coven don't have the knowledge in Craft to create new ones. I took care of _that_, too. Without that tool, Blood males will be able to thrive again."

"So it's possible that Hayll will heal again."

She certainly hoped so. Lilith worried about the rumors she'd been hearing just before she and Alex had left Draega. It seemed she'd inadvertently given Meredith a new tool to use instead of Rings. From the whispers she'd heard, it was nearly as devastating. And would be just as difficult to eradicate.

"Well, they'll have a hard time doing it without me, so I can't linger here too long."

"I suppose the visit with Adrienne and Charlotte could wait…" 'Nelle trailed off, obviously disappointed.

"No, let's still do that. I can't just waltz out of here right now, anyway."

"Begging your pardon, Lilith, but you can."

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I do."

'Nelle cast a sly a look at her, and a sinking feeling settled in her belly. Whatever she was about to say was going to be unpleasant.

"So…you said how he figured out you wore Ebon-gray. How'd you let it slip about the Ebon-Black?"

Dammit.

Lilith had hoped she could redirect 'Nelle's enthusiasm away from that topic. Obviously, it hadn't worked. And since Lilith had told her she could ask, she had to provide an answer. Preferably one that excluded any details about what happened with her and Alex. That would only open the door to letting 'Nelle ask more questions.

"We were hiding out in a suite, and he put up an Ebon-Black shield. I was so focused on planning an escape when the time came that I forgot it was there on the way out again. Passed right through it."

_At least that part is the truth_, Lilith thought. Granted, a very carefully worded truth. But not a lie. She continued on with the last of the story.

"And once he'd seen that, it seemed kinda stupid to pretend I didn't wear the Ebon-Black."

'Nelle regarded her through narrowed eyes.

"That sounds a lot like the story you told Papa last night about the whole trip. Very lacking in some very important details."

"Yeah, well, I'm sure the Warlord Prince of Dhemlan is going to have plenty of time today to try to get some of those important details during his vigorous cross-examination."

"That's an ugly word."

"Ugly, but fitting for what I expect to happen in that study today."

"You aren't going to lie to him, are you?"

"Not unless I have to."

'Nelle caught her lip in her teeth and chewed it nervously. Lying to the High Lord of Hell was not to be taken lightly, so her friend had the right to be nervous about what might happen if he found out that Lilith hadn't been honest. Even if her Jewels outranked his.

"Relax, 'Nelle. I know what I'm doing."

"If you say so."

They sat silently for a few minutes. And then Lilith's stomach let out a loud gurgle, reminding her that she hadn't eaten in a long while. 'Nelle stared at her and let out a laugh.

"Well, I suppose now would be a good time to head down to the dining room for the midday meal."

"Then we'd better hurry or there won't be much left."

**4/Kaeleer**

"Agreed," 'Nelle said with a smile. "If you grab your shoes we can be on our way."

"What about you two," Lilith asked the cats. "Are you coming or what?"

*Tired* Haedyn replied. *Stay here*

"I know we got to bed late last night, but it's odd that they're still sleepy."

"They're cats. When they're not hunting, napping is their next favorite activity."

"Yeah, but still…"

Lilith shrugged, but 'Nelle could see shadows in her eyes. Too many shadows for anyone who had slept until nearly noon. But she wasn't going to get an answer out of her friend if she asked about it. The cats, maybe? 'Nelle aimed a private thread at Taenne.

*Any ideas why you all are so tired this morning?*

The tip of his tail twitched in agitation, and his golden eyes flicked to Lilith's back. A low rumble travelled over the connection between them when he finally replied.

*Bad dreams*

*Lilith?*

*Yes, always bad dreams. Worse now*

'Nelle tried not to let it show how much those words cut into her. Lilith had said last night she wasn't okay. Even if she'd insisted it wasn't her fault, 'Nelle still felt responsible. And now she worried more than ever what her friend been hiding when she said things had gotten 'complicated'.

Especially since 'Nelle had noticed one very key difference in Lilith last night. At first, she thought she was just imagining it. The past three months had been nerve-wracking, so it made sense to see problems that weren't really there. But once they'd gotten into the coach, 'Nelle knew it was true.

Lilith may have left for Hayll a virgin, but she didn't come back as one.

'Nelle suspected her brother had something to do with that. Personally. And if she'd gotten out one more question last night before Lilith shut her down, she'd have asked. Of course that would only have led to more questions. The biggest one being _why_.

From what little she'd heard so far, 'Nelle knew that Alex's experience in Hayll with sex was not a positive one. And Lilith had always been dead set against a Virgin Night. What in the name of Hell could have convinced both of them to do this? At least she _hoped_ it was both of them. 'Nelle didn't like to think that maybe it hadn't been, and that's what had been so complicated.

Or why her friend was having nightmares.

"So am I going downstairs by myself or what," Lilith's voice broke into her unpleasant thoughts.

"What?"

"The midday meal. That's what you came up here to fetch me for, remember?"

The look in Lilith's eyes warned here that she knew what 'Nelle had been thinking about. Just as clear was a warning that discussing it was not an option. Not if she wanted to remain among the living, anyway. So she packed those thoughts away for another time and stood.

"You're right. Let's go."

They crossed the room, leaving the kitties on the bed to keep watch over the suite. Conversation stalled, and it gave 'Nelle time to think. She considered what Lilith had just shown her. Just as she'd suspected, her friend wore more than the Sapphire. But she hadn't been quite prepared to know just how much more.

Mother Night. Two full sets and seven Ebon-Black on top of that. At most, 'Nelle had expected to see maybe the Gray or the Ebon-gray. She had always thought Lilith refused to make an Offering because she'd already made one and didn't want anyone to know. It was equally comforting and disquieting to find out she was wrong.

Comforting since she didn't like to think that Lilith would lie to her. But disquieting to think what it meant if these were her Birthright Jewels. The last to command so many Jewels had been Kaeleer's Heart. Witch. Dreams made Flesh.

'Nelle gathered all she knew about Lilith and laid it out in her mind. The Jewels, for one. Her fixation about healing Hayll. Haedyn and Taenne. Without asking, she couldn't prove that Lilith was Witch. But how could her friend be anything else?

_And I promised not to tell anyone_, she thought dismally.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. She'd only promised not to tell anyone about Lilith's Jewels. Her speculations about whether or not her friend was Witch weren't part of the promise…technically. But maybe she ought to check Lilith's understanding of their promise before saying anything. Especially if breaking it could get her killed.

"Sooo," she began slowly. "About our Sister's Promise…"

"I wouldn't advise breaking it."

"No, no. That's actually the opposite of what I wanted to know."

"Oh?"

"Let's say I wanted to bounce some ideas off Papa based on what you showed me upstairs."

Lilith slammed to a halt so fast 'Nelle had to back up a step. The eyes that met her gaze were filled with golden ice. No trace of her friend in that face, and 'Nelle admitted to herself that she was afraid. They'd known each other for decades, but this was the first time she'd ever been afraid of Lilith.

She swallowed nervously, and managed to find her voice.

"Maybe I ought to just keep those to myself."

Gradually, the chilling look faded from Lilith's eyes, replaced by something else. Regret? Sadness? 'Nelle couldn't tell, but she was just glad that other look was gone.

"It'd be best if you just let it go altogether, 'Nelle."

"But…"

"Let it go. I didn't show them to you so that you'd start building any crazy theories. And definitely not to get everyone else stirred up."

"All right," she agreed reluctantly. "No chats with Papa."

"Or your mother. Or Lucivar and the rest of the Boyos."

"You really want this tied up with a neat little bow, don't you?"

Lilith sighed, and pushed a strand of black hair out of her face.

"I just want things to stay how they've been," she said quietly, almost to herself. "I want to stay at the Hall for a few days every now and then. To play with the kitties, argue with your insane male relatives, and experiment with Craft with you and Titian. That's all I want."

Small dreams, all in all. Most people wanted so much more. Power, wealth, recognition. Lilith wanted none of that. If that's what would make her happy, then 'Nelle would do her best to let this go.

"I didn't hear on that list anything about Mrs. Beale's cooking," she teased.

A slow smile crossed her friend's lips, and then she made a face.

"Don't ever tell her I forgot or I may never eat in the Hall again."

"Or you'd wind up served as the main course."

The both of them laughed and resumed walking. The dining room was just around the corner. 'Nelle couldn't believe that she'd only left it a half hour or so ago. It felt like she'd been gone much longer. It had nothing to do with the number of minutes- just how much had changed in them.


	28. Chapter 27: Inquiries Half-Answered

**Author's Notes: I usually don't post notes inside a chapter, but thought I'd give a warning. This chapter is crazy-long. I tried to cut it up into two chapters this whole week and just couldn't find a combination that made me happy. I guess it was just meant to be.**

**1/Kaeleer**

Alex sat at the table and tried not to let his temper slip the leash. Despite his best efforts, he was finding it difficult to keep balanced. He supposed it was the Hall, reminding him of the places where he'd spent his whole life in Draega. It was hard to remember that he was in Kaeleer and not Terreille.

Hard not to expect Meredith or her coven bitches to turn up around the next corner.

This morning he'd woken up in the guest bedroom on the verge of the killing edge. Unfamiliar place and all the witches he could sense nearby…it had taken him several minutes to convince himself he wasn't in Draega. Alex tried to forget how terrified he'd been until he'd reached for his cock and confirmed he wore no Ring.

That fear had only fueled his rage. Only after a long, cold shower and an hour or two of pacing did he settle enough to leave the suite. Even then, Alex wasn't sure he'd made the right choice. He was still worried that one wrong move and he might do something he'd regret.

It hadn't helped that Lilith wasn't at breakfast. Hell, he hadn't seen her all morning, and Alex wondered if she'd disappeared during the night. With her Jewels, a Black shield around the Hall wasn't going to stop her. Although, letting the SaDiablos know she wore a Jewel that dark might. So maybe she hadn't left.

Despite their…history together, Alex admitted that he really needed Lilith to stay here. At least for a little while yet. She was the only one who might be able to stop him if he went cold. _Might_. As she'd pointed out on the trip here, he wore five Jewels. Lilith only wore three.

Three.

Alex nearly dropped his fork in shock when that thought finally registered. Lilith wore three Jewels. How in the name of Hell had he overlooked that before? He'd been so damned focused on what she'd been doing in Hayll that he had completely missed anything else. No doubt Lilith had been glad of it, too. Now he knew why she didn't think anything strange about his Jewels.

_Oh she's got some explaining to do_, he swore darkly to himself. Alex glanced around the table and saw an equally determined look on Daemon Sadi's face. No doubt thinking of the explanations Lilith owed him about Hayll. _Well, I suppose it can wait until after he's gotten the answers he's looking for._

Daemon Sadi wasn't the only one at the table. The Eyrien, Lucivar, and Surreal were there, too. Alex tried out 'father', 'uncle' and 'mother' in his head and couldn't quite manage it. They may be related, but they weren't family to him. Not yet.

No one seemed inclined to talk. Yeah, maybe coming here really wasn't the best idea. Alex sighed and stabbed a forkful of potatoes, trying to shove those thoughts aside. Just then, the door opened.

"Sorry we're late," 'Nelle apologized as she and Lilith crossed the room.

Thank the Darkness. She hadn't left.

"Hope you all saved us something."

"Wouldn't want to risk that you'd raid Mrs. Beale's kitchen if we didn't," Daemon mused drily.

"She told you about that, did she?"

"That is a mild way of putting it. For my sake, witch-child, don't make a habit of doing that."

'Nelle flopped down into a chair near him and started filling her plate. A sheepish look crossed her face, and she didn't say anything to defend herself. Alex admitted he was very curious about this Mrs. Beale. Especially since the deference shown her from everyone- including Daemon Sadi- appeared to be genuine. Maybe he'd ask someone about that later.

For now, he was curious what Lilith would do. Only a few chairs were left, and most of them at his end of the table. A few were further away. But Daemon and Lucivar occupied the other end, and he guessed that she wanted to avoid them after last night. Even so, she wasn't all that eager to sit near him, either.

In the end, she sat next to 'Nelle on the side furthest from him. Alex thought he would only feel somewhat disappointed. He didn't expect that he'd want to haul her over to the chair next to him- far away from the other males at the table. That didn't seem like a normal reaction. After all, she knew the SaDiablos better than she knew him. Why would he see them as some kind of threat?

"The cats didn't come down?" Surreal asked, breaking into his thoughts.

"They're still asleep upstairs," Lilith replied drily. "You'd think they hadn't slept for weeks."

"What about you? Did you sleep well?"

"Missed having breakfast cooked by Mrs. Beale, didn't I?"

Alex kept a sharp eye on Lilith's face. A shadowy flicker in her eyes betrayed that her lighthearted reply didn't really answer the question. She'd had the nightmare again. Now Alex was convinced that she knew about them, and had always known. Did she know that she talked in her sleep, though? He suspected not.

"You also missed practice this morning," Lucivar drawled.

"I can't miss it if no one tells me I have to go."

"Well, if that's the deal, then you'd better believe that tomorrow morning you're to be in the training room in time for practice."

Lilith groaned and pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes. Alex could hear her muttering under her breath. Lucivar appeared amused by her frustration, almost as if he'd been expecting it. A few moments later, she crossed her arms and glared at Daemon.

"You couldn't have let him go back to Ebon Rih before you locked down the Hall, could you?"

The man just stared at her, unimpressed by her ire. So far, Alex was beginning to think that Lilith had been telling him one of her stretched truths when she said she didn't really argue with anyone in his family. Since last night, he'd seen her do little else. And no one seemed to think it strange that a witch wearing Sapphire Jewels was staring daggers at the Warlord Prince of Dhemlan- not to mention the High Lord of Hell.

No one worried about what he might do in response, either. And since he didn't know what to expect, Alex wondered how Daemon Sadi would react. Amusement wasn't at the top of his list.

"Noticed the shield, did you, witchling?"

"How long is that going to stay up, anyway?"

Daemon said nothing; silence was answer enough.

Lilith looked like she might say something else, but thought better of it. Whatever she might have said was mumbled in ominous tones to the half-filled plate in front of her instead. Alex thought he heard something that ended with the word 'males'.

"You missed practice this morning, too, Boyo."

That was directed at him. Alex couldn't think of anything better than Lilith's excuse. But he didn't even have a chance to offer it before Lucivar continued.

"Tomorrow, you'll be there. Six am."

_Did it have to be so damned early?_ Alex did his best not to sigh in resignation. Lilith had warned him not to argue, so he supposed he was stuck doing this.

"Where?"

"I'll show you after we're done here."

Wonderful. Lilith had warned him, hadn't she? Alex supposed he'd find out tomorrow morning just what kind of practice the Eyrien had in mind. At the moment, he couldn't guess. In Hayll, there hadn't been any Eyriens, so all he knew of them was theoretical. And likely untrue, if the last few days had taught him anything.

Conversation dwindled while everyone ate. Alex tried not to stare at Lilith the whole time. For her part, she seemed to be pretending that he wasn't there. Although maybe he wasn't the only one she was ignoring. Lilith was doing a good job pretending Lucivar and Daemon didn't exist, too.

Still, sitting here in silence wasn't doing anyone any good. Alex was almost ready to break it when he heard the sound of paws thudding against the door to the hallway. Surreal and 'Nelle exchanged glances and groaned.

"I thought that Chelsea was taking care of the twins today," Daemon queried.

"She promised for the morning, but no amount of marks I offered would get her to take them for the afternoon."

"Might as well open the door and let them in before they start howling," 'Nelle mused, getting up from the table.

The thumping became more insistent, and was joined by several yips. Once she opened the door, two fluffy brown and white puppies tumbled into the room. They bounced and barked as they followed 'Nelle back to the table. Alex knew immediately what they were. Scelties.

They made a beeline for Lilith first, greeting her with a series of happy yips and howls. She was trying her best not to look amused, but failed miserably. With a sigh, she picked one of them up and gave it a playful squeeze.

"I see you've gotten big enough to wander around the Keep by yourself, haven't you?"

*Except for walkies!*

Alex had taken a drink and nearly choked as the puppy's child-like voice rang in his head. What were walkies? 'Nelle caught his amused look and laughed.

"So Lilith's already taught you how to hear Kindred. That's good news if you're going to stay around here."

"They're Scelties, aren't they," he asked.

"Yes, actually. Did Lilith tell you about them?"

"Didn't have to," Lilith commented drily. "The Prince has already read the first two Shadow and Tracker novels. All I had to do was tell him that they weren't entirely fictional."

"I didn't think Hayll carried any books published in Kaeleer," Daemon Sadi queried. "Unless I'm mistaken."

She refused to look at that end of the table, her attention focused on the pup in her arms. But even from his angle, Alex could see Lilith was silently cursing.

"Some do," she admitted finally. "If you know where to look."

Her eyes slid sideways to 'Nelle, who immediately took over the conversation again. Effectively cutting off any chance Daemon could ask Lilith just where that was.

"Well, it's good that you have some idea what it's like to live with Scelties. We almost always have them here at the Hall."

"So I heard."

"My friend in Scelt sent a few from one of their recent litters for training." She pointed to the puppy in Lilith's arms. "Lord Joach and his sister Lady Kalia."

*Want down now*

The furry Warlord wiggled and squirmed until Lilith set him down on the floor. The puppies toddled over to him next, but didn't immediately paw at him. They stopped a half dozen steps away and looked at him quizzically.

*Papa High Lord?*

Alex tried to ignore the half-muffled snort from 'Nelle. But it was impossible once she burst out into a fit of laughter. She was laughing so hard that she that she held herself around the middle to keep from falling out of her chair. Surreal and Lucivar were struggling valiantly not to join her, neither of them able to look in his direction- or at Daemon.

What in the name of Hell was he supposed to tell the dog? He felt kind of awkward explaining who he was, and was grateful when someone else spoke up to answer for him.

"Little Brother," Daemon said carefully. "The Prince is my son. He's been away for a long time, but now he's going to live with us in the Hall."

*Play?*

"Maybe later. For now, you can play with the Ladies until the Prince is more used to Kindred."

"Did your father just sic two Scelties on us," he heard Lilith whisper to 'Nelle. "That is _not_ fair."

"Would you rather he dragged you into the study for an explanation about Draega?" 'Nelle whispered back.

Lilith considered both options seriously for a moment. Alex almost thought she might choose the study over two Kindred puppies. That said a lot. He wondered just how much of a favor his father had just done for him. And how long it'd last.

Lord Joach and Lady Kalia gave him one last look before they trotted back over to Lilith and 'Nelle.

*Go for walkies!*

"Didn't you just get back?"

*Go for walkies!* they repeated insistently.

Both witches sighed, but it was Lilith who answered them. "We'd be happy to, but we'd have to keep inside."

*Not outside?*

"'Fraid not. Not allowed out today," she glanced at Daemon mischievously. "Unless someone lifts the Black shield around the Hall."

"Not happening, witchling."

Lilith shrugged. "Worth a try. A walk around the Hall it is. Shall we go, 'Nelle?"

"I'm ready."

They both got up from the table, but Daemon stopped them with a look. He was focused on Lilith in particular.

"Lady, you owe me an explanation about Hayll."

"Does it have to be now?"

"I'll be in the study in an hour, and I expect you to be there."

She almost looked as if she'd argue, but gave up with a reluctant nod.

"If you insist."

Alex wondered what she would say when that hour came. He dreaded that conversation almost as much as she did. Maybe more. Depending on what she said, life here could become very unpleasant for him. And that was being optimistic.

**2/Kaeleer**

Daemon sat at the blackwood desk and waited for Lilith to arrive. She might not be happy to have this conversation, but he was certain that she wouldn't be stubborn enough to disobey him. A lot like Jaenelle Saetien in that respect. Both of them knew just how far they could push him before they yielded.

A knock on the door heralded Lilith's arrival. She slipped inside and crossed the room, steps unhurried. Daemon marked that her expression was already closed as she sank into the chair across from him. And then she just waited.

_Glad I didn't take Surreal's bet._

Lilith was going to make him work hard for any information he'd want about what she'd been doing in Hayll. Did she have any idea how much courage he needed to have this conversation? More than Daemon wanted to admit.

Best get started, before she found some way of getting him off subject. If anyone could do it, Lilith could. Jaenelle had taught her well how to work around the SaDiablo males. She wasn't going to do it today if he could help it.

"Now then, witchling, we'll start with something easy. How long have you been sneaking into Hayll?"

"I haven't been sneaking into Hayll," she protested immediately.

"Really? You disappear for weeks at a time, and deliberately avoid mentioning where you're going. Just what would you call that?"

"I'd call it considerate. I was able to take care of things that needed to be done, and none of you lost a night's sleep over it."

Daemon almost exploded, but held a leash on his temper. Barely. When he was sure he wasn't going to snarl at her, he let himself answer.

"Considerate? That isn't being considerate. That's being reckless. What if something had happened to you while you were in Hayll?"

"Nothing is going to happen to me."

"Lilith, I've seen the witches and Warlords that pass through Hell after Meredith and her coven get done with them. Don't lie to me- or to yourself- and say that nothing could happen."

She said nothing, but he saw her temper flare. So he found a weapon he hoped would stifle it.

"Jaenelle Saetien believed you were in danger. She was a nervous wreck for three months while you were gone. Were you being considerate to her?"

_If looks could kill, I would be dead_.

"That is between me and 'Nelle, High Lord," Lilith replied icily. "I will say one last time that I know the dangers of Hayll, and can defend myself just fine against them."

They were already off-subject, Daemon thought sourly. How did she manage to do that so quickly? She'd already maneuvered them into a pointless argument about whether or not she was safe in Hayll. If he didn't let it go now, he'd never find out what he'd originally asked.

"Forgive me for still not believing you, Lady. But let's get back to the original question. How long have you been going to Hayll? A real answer or I swear we won't be leaving this study all afternoon."

Lilith judged his tone and glanced at the window for a few minutes. Daemon sat back and waited, fingers steepled in front of him patiently. Finally, she relented.

"Since before I met 'Nelle."

"So at least for the past thirty or forty years."

"I'd say probably closer to half a century."

And none of them ever suspected it. Daemon admitted he was just as furious with himself for not noticing as he was with Lilith for going. If he'd pressed just once about where she went when not at the Hall…

_Alex would still be in Draega, tortured by that bitch Meredith and her coven._

He couldn't deny that truth, as much as he wanted to deny it. But like it or not, Lilith putting herself in danger was the only reason he was reunited with his son. So he did his best to let the rage go to ask his next question.

"Why, Lilith? What could possibly have interested you in going to Hayll in the first place?"

Lilith toyed with her shirt sleeves, eyes downcast. She hadn't looked up yet when she answered.

"It's not supposed to be that way."

Female was an utterly foreign language when they said things like that. Daemon knew she'd given him an honest answer, but had no idea what it meant.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Hayll. It should be like the other Territories. It was supposed to heal after the Purge."

"What does that have to do with why you went there?"

"I had to see what was causing it."

"Witchling, you didn't have to go there to find out. If that's what you wanted, I could have told you about Meredith and what she's done to the Blood in Hayll."

Those last words ended in a snarl. Daemon had to make an effort to leash his temper. Not that Lilith hadn't seen it before, but dwelling on those thoughts would take their conversation in a direction he wasn't ready to face yet. He still needed answers about her before he asked about his son.

Lilith watched him carefully, almost knowingly. And then she shook her head.

"Meredith's court is a symptom of the problem. It's not the root cause, and I think you know that, too."

Daemon looked away. Oh yes, he knew. He wanted to blame it all on Meredith, but Lilith was right. That court wouldn't have arisen to the power it held today if they'd gotten help when it would have mattered. Help that Daemon knew they desperately needed.

Dena Nehele had come first. The Territory almost hadn't survived healing what Dorothea and Hekatah had done to it. In truth, it really didn't. Fractures in its people had caused a division so strong that it had broken into two Territories in the end. But the schism had been for the best, and now Shalador Nehele and Dena Nehele were thriving.

Askavi and Dhemlan had been worse. Although the Territories had survived in one piece, rebuilding healthy Blood communities had taken centuries. Some places were still healing. Lucivar and his sons had shouldered most of the burden there, providing what help they could. Daemon tried to ignore the flash of shame that he still couldn't bring himself to be in Terreille outside the Keep.

But for all the help Kaeleer gave to Terreille, never once did they offer any of it to Hayll. For his part- and Lucivar's- they just couldn't. Daemon had hoped that once the other Territories had begun healing, they would have helped Hayll. But by that time, Meredith and her coven had already wrested control of Draega and it was too late. And instead of fighting, they'd let the Territory fall.

So if Daemon were honest, Kaeleer was no less responsible for Hayll's miserable fate than Meredith. It left a bitter taste to think that he may have squandered the one opportunity Jaenelle had given them to fix Hayll. He shook himself out of those thoughts, realizing how long Lilith had been waiting for him to answer. From her expression, she knew exactly what he'd been thinking. Mother Night was that disturbing.

"Yes, Lilith, I'll admit you're right. Whatever is wrong with Hayll was already there before Meredith."

"In a nutshell, they forgot how to be Blood. And with no one to teach them, they went back to what they knew. At least that's what I saw."

"Then why go back?"

She didn't answer right away, and turned back to the window. Several minutes passed before he realized she might not answer the question if he didn't push her.

"Witchling- why did you go back after that first time? What was worth the risk?"

When she didn't say anything, Daemon was tempted to give her a warning not to push him. But it wouldn't do him any good. Lilith didn't have any qualms about facing a Warlord Prince's temper. Even his. So he gritted his teeth and waited.

"Do you think they can be Blood again?" she asked suddenly.

Not an idle question. Daemon had wondered the same thing himself over the years, but he didn't think Lilith was really asking for his answer. Seems that Surreal's guess was on target. Mother Night, if Lilith thought she could save Hayll from itself, she was crazier than any of them thought.

"If it's possible, it's something beyond what one person can do."

A sharp look from Lilith told him plainly that she didn't agree.

"I think it depends on who that one person is," she countered.

She almost said more, but caught herself in time. Daemon raised an eyebrow at her.

"I might agree with you, witchling, if I thought that person was Witch. But we weren't talking about Witch going into Hayll- we were talking about you."

He watched her face very carefully. Not a twitch or blink betrayed what she thought of his reply. Lilith's expression was as closed and unreadable as ever. It was galling that she probably learned that stare from him.

**3/Kaeleer**

Lucivar glanced at his nephew as he led the way to the room they'd be using for practice tomorrow. Drilling was best done out of doors, but with the Black shield up, he'd have to make do with what he had. Right now, though, his thoughts were on the man beside him.

It was still a little unnerving to see Daemon's face and know that it wasn't him. He could tell himself that Saetan and Daemon had looked very similar, too. But not like this. Looking at Alex was like looking at a memory of Daemon at that age.

His eyes lingered on the Ebon-Gray Jewel in Alex's pendant, and considered what it meant that it wasn't even his Rank Jewel. They'd all seen the Ebon-Black Jewel last night. That much power was dangerous, even if he'd lived in Kaeleer. But he hadn't. Alex had spent six hundred years in Hayll with Meredith, forced to serve her coven.

Like he'd served in Prythian's courts. Like Daemon had served in Dorothea's. Lucivar knew what it had done to them. So he knew damn well that hidden beneath the calm mask Alex wore now could be a man as savage as the Sadist. One who commanded Jewels darker than anyone in the family- in the whole Realm.

It was enough to make even him cautious. Until he had a better idea what his nephew might do, probably best to keep things simple.

"Is Lilith always like that," Alex asked him suddenly.

"How do you mean?"

"The arguing. The obstinate attitude. Since I met her, I swear those are the only sides I've seen."

_Why does that not surprise me?_ Lucivar shrugged.

"Oh that. I suppose that's something she learned from the waif."

"Who?"

"Jaenelle Saetien."

"Lilith did mention once that they were very similar in temperament."

That was an understatement. Lilith and Jaenelle could have been twins in his opinion. Lucivar had recognized that from the first day he'd met her, and thanked the Darkness that Daemon had to deal with them more than he did. Jaenelle was enough of a handful whenever she came to visit them in Ebon Rih. The few times they'd both come to visit…Mother Night.

On the other hand, he had to admit that he was glad that the waif had someone like Lilith as a friend. She needed a strong witch who could accept her. Granted, she grew up with strong witches- some of them very similar to the witches her namesake had known long ago.

But even they were wary sometimes. Like when Jaenelle got that scary kind of bitchy look in her eye. Lilith never wavered. Hell's fire, she was just as scary sometimes. Or worse. Shaking himself out of those thoughts, he threw a rueful smile at Alex.

"If you see both of them together and they have a determined look, I have one piece of advice for you."

"What's that?"

"Run away. You do not want to be made a part of whatever scheme they're planning."

He realized his mistake the moment the words were out of his mouth. A chilling look crept into Alex's eyes, not to mention the air around them. For a moment, he'd gotten careless. He hadn't thought of what that might sound like for someone who'd spent his whole life in Hayll. Lucivar stopped walking and faced his nephew.

"I'd better explain," he said. "I'll tell you of a story of what happened to my son, Andulvar, the last time he didn't take my advice. The Ladies were debating how to use Craft to suspend something as large as a house. He made the mistake of suggesting his own theory. Which they decided to try down in Halaway.

"Only the house they chose wasn't abandoned as they had thought, and its tenants were less than pleased about the whole experiment. A point they made very clear when they spoke to the village Queen after the darling witchlings set the house back on its foundation. For a whole year, the three of them weren't allowed into town without an official escort."

Alex considered the story a moment, obviously measuring it against the kind of things he'd seen in Hayll. Gradually, the chilling look faded. He rolled his shoulders and looked uncomfortable.

"I don't mean to react that way. It's just…"

"We understand, Boyo. It's not easy to ignore instincts that kept you alive in a place as dangerous and precarious as Hayll."

Alex said nothing. Lucivar knew better to push open that door without invitation. But it gave his nephew the opportunity to talk if he wanted. Instead, Alex shifted to a different subject as they resumed walking.

"After spending two days listening to Lilith explain Kaeleer to me, I have some questions."

"May the Darkness be merciful if it's really just a few."

"Prince Sadi said as much last night, too. So it's not just me in thinking that there's something off about how she explained things?"

"Of course it's off," Lucivar growled. "Witches speak in female, and it makes no sense to anyone male."

"It wasn't all bad. But the things she was telling me…it's so different from what I knew in Hayll that it's hard not to have questions."

"I should get you a book…"

"This one?" Alex called in a book and showed it to him.

"Yes, that one." Lucivar frowned. "Did Daemon give it to you?"

"No. Lilith gave me a copy when we left Draega."

Lucivar choked back a laugh, thinking he might burst something if he didn't let it out. No wonder the Lady had been spoiling for a fight last night when they arrived. After two days of dealing with a Warlord Prince who read that book, she had to be close to her last nerve by the time she'd gotten to the Keep. He'd be sure not to put them as sparing partners tomorrow morning at practice, or she might work off that frustration by denting Alex's head.

"Well, I don't know whether to admire her patience or question her sanity," he replied at last.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?"

"You read the book, didn't you?"

"A few chapters. It was a long ride to the Keep from Draega. Honestly, I thought it was a joke at first."

"And she told you it wasn't."

"Yes, although Lilith wasn't all that enthusiastic to admit it. Especially that bit about the first rule."

"Of course not."

"She did say," Alex began with a sharp smile. "That it was thanks to you that SaDiablo males- let me think how she put it- 'embraced that rule with more enthusiasm than the original author intended'."

"No doubt she's right. So I suppose I'm lucky I'll never meet whoever wrote it."

Lucivar saw Alex's steps falter and he looked away suddenly. He wondered what it meant, but didn't have time to ask about it before his nephew switched to a new topic.

"She didn't say much about Courts in the past few days," Alex began slowly. "I've already read up on them myself in Protocol books…"

"I'd wait to ask about Courts until you've read about them in Protocol books from Kaeleer," Lucivar interrupted.

"Those were the books I read. Same merchant was selling them that had the books on Kindred."

_And where in the name of Hell are Hayllians in Draega getting Protocol books on the Old Ways? And just who is buying them with Meredith's coven in charge?_

"You're sure? Real Protocol books?"

Alex called one in and gave it to him.

"I suppose you can tell me."

He opened the book and flipped the pages, skimming through it to find a few particular passages he knew wouldn't be in the books used by Meredith and her coven. Sure enough, they were there. Somehow, Alex had gotten his hands on the real thing. Lucivar closed the book and handed it back.

"You're right. That's the right one. I just don't see how one could have gotten into Draega…"

Alex didn't provide an answer, turning suddenly evasive. Interesting. Lucivar suspected the boyo knew exactly how those books were getting into Hayll, but was keeping silent for his own reasons. Fine. Let that be something Daemon could worry about.

"That can wait- I'm guessing you had a question?"

"Yeah, I did." Alex took a breath and let it out again before he finally asked it. "Am I going to be expected to serve in one?"

Now there was a daunting question, and one that didn't come as a surprise. Immigration requirements in Kaeleer hadn't changed much in the past eight hundred years. A Warlord Prince like Alex would need to sign a contract for five years to fulfill his requirements. But asking him to serve in a Queen's Court- even though it wasn't the same as serving in Hayll- would be a lethal mistake. Far better if he signed with Daemon.

"You'll have to sign a contract for five years to stay in Kaeleer, but no one is going to put up a fuss if you sign it with the Warlord Prince of Dhemlan. In fact, they'd probably prefer it."

"I would think Queens here would be eager to add a Warlord Prince to their Court."

"Only if he wants to serve, Boyo. That's one of the first things you'd better forget about Hayll. Kaeleer Queens don't want anyone- males especially- serving in their Courts if they're unwilling."

"How do they choose, then?"

Lucivar thought back to Cat and shook his head in amusement when she'd learned the truth about Blood males- Warlord Princes in particular.

"You probably won't understand it right now, but you might as well hear it anyway. They don't choose us; we choose them."

"Choose…them?" Alex echoed slowly.

"It's a feeling. I doubt it's happened to you, but you'll know it when it happens the first time. Something inside tells you the witch belongs to you."

The words hung between them for a moment until they sunk in. His nephew's face went very still, all expression and color draining away.

"Something wrong?"

**4/Kaeleer**

Alex was doing his best to remain calm, but it felt like the earth had opened up under his feet. Because he did know the feeling Lucivar had just described. It sounded exactly like what he'd felt that night in Draega- for Lilith. Mother Night, he didn't want to be chained to any witch in _that_ way. Not even her.

"Alex?"

He shook himself out of those thoughts. "I'm fine."

"I doubt it. You look like I've asked you to slice open your guts."

Alex might rather do that than admit any interest in serving a witch. But maybe he'd misunderstood what the Eyrien meant, and a few more questions would settle his uneasy feelings.

"Is that feeling ever wrong? Like something that could happen by mistake?"

Lucivar hesitated, almost unwilling to answer the question. He sighed heavily.

"Sometimes, but the only time I saw it was in Terreille a long time ago. All the good Queens had been destroyed and there was no one left but the tainted bitches. Some men gave in and convinced themselves that they felt that bond for them. Twisted them up and destroyed them in the end."

Well, so much for that. Definitely didn't apply in any way to him or to Lilith. Alex wasn't sure if Lucivar could tell how dismayed he was. Nevertheless, he was determined to find some way out of this, and tried again.

"And there's no other meaning behind a feeling like that?"

"Well, it can mean two things."

"What else could it mean?"

"If we're talking strictly of Queens, it usually has to do with serving in her Court. There's a connection, which can be personal and friendly, but not always. It depends on the depth of the bond. You'll get a better idea if you read more about it that book Lilith gave you. It'll tell you more than the general Protocol books will. If you ask him, Daemon can point out where to find those sections."

Yeah, that was sounding like a better idea all the time. He must not have read far enough to get to that part yet. Definitely wish he had before this conversation. Alex was feeling woefully unprepared to deal with what Lucivar was telling him. He dreaded the answer to his next question, but asked anyway.

"And if we're not talking strictly of Queens?"

"It's possible to get that kind of feeling about any witch, but that connection is _always _personal. Very personal."

"When you say personal…"

"Usually a lover."

Oh that was _ten_ _times_ worse.

Alex was sure he could learn to ignore the pull with Lilith if it was just about serving a Queen. He'd done without that his whole life just fine. But if that feeling had anything to do with wanting a lover…he wasn't sure he could close that box now that it had been opened.

He had to know if it could get worse yet.

"Can it ever be both?"

Lucivar gave him a measured look, and Alex worried that he'd given too much away with his questions. He'd wanted to keep this a hypothetical conversation as long as possible. Hopefully indefinitely. In the end, his uncle let whatever suspicions he had go.

"That's probably a better conversation to have with Daemon, but the short answer is yes, it's possible."

Yep, definitely could be worse. And he couldn't shake the nagging suspicion that in his case, it would be both. Alex held out for one last hope, and plunged into his final question.

"This feeling you describe- can it ever be broken?"

He'd pushed too hard. The look in Lucivar's eyes was more than a little suspicious now. He stopped walking again.

"Is there some reason for these questions, Prince? You seem to be very focused- more focused than I would expect- in the kinds of things you're asking."

"From what you said, it sounds like this is a natural part of being a Warlord Prince. I want to know as much as I can about it before it catches me off guard."

_Too late for that_, Alex admitted to himself. But he kept silent about that tiny white lie. Although, depending on Lucivar's answer, it may not be so tiny. The Eyrien wasn't quite convinced by it, anyway. Alex held his breath, expecting him to pry again. The sharp look faded and Lucivar shrugged.

"Yes, I suppose that might not end well."

"So that's why I'm asking now."

"I've known a few Princes who've had to break a bond with a Queen. It's no easy thing to do, and it will destroy a piece of you if you try. So I'd think of that as a last resort."

Okay then. Alex did not want to hear that answer at all. After what Meredith and her bitches had taken from him, he didn't have much left. Still wasn't sure he had anything left. So for now, he'd just have to ignore whatever this was and hope it went away.

"Something to think about I guess," he said at last.

**5/Kaeleer**

Without asking outright Lucivar couldn't prove it, but he was pretty certain that it was something that Alex was already thinking about. If it were anyone else, he'd just ask. But Alex wore the Ebon-Black and Lucivar didn't feel like making Marian a widow. So he'd tell Daemon about this conversation and let _him_ ask.

He re-examined the scenes at breakfast and lunch in light of what he knew now. His nephew's behavior was starting to make a lot more sense. They'd all assumed that he was edgy because he wasn't ready to let down his guard from being in Hayll. A reasonable assumption to make. Lucivar expected it would take time before they would all feel comfortable around one another. Likely years.

But that edginess had been something else, too. All throughout breakfast, he'd seen Alex glancing at the door. Lucivar realized now that he hadn't been keeping an eye on a potential attack. Alex had been waiting for Lilith to arrive. She never did, and so the boyo hadn't been able to focus on anything else.

If nothing else, they should have realized what was happening by the midday meal. When Lilith had finally arrived, some of the tension had run out of him. Until she sat down. Lucivar had caught the almost hostile look that had flashed in Alex's eyes when she chose a seat that wasn't next to him. Baffling at the time, but after those questions…perfectly obvious.

So the boyo was interested in Lady Lilith. That could prove deadly if they ignored it for too long, even if that's what Alex was hoping to do. Lucivar understood why he might want to. If all he'd known was Meredith and her coven, that was enough to send any man running from witches. But running wasn't going to work for very long.

Maybe Daemon could have a chat about this without making it too obvious. Subtlety was his specialty, not Lucivar's. And it would go a long way to make Alex think twice about ignoring what he was feeling for Lilith. Didn't mean he would _do_ anything about it, but at least he'd understand the consequences.

As for Lilith…at least she wasn't going to make it worse while Alex decided what he wanted. After several disastrous offers when she first visited the Hall, everyone got the message that she was not interested in having a lover. Or male attention in general for that matter.

In that respect, she reminded Lucivar of Karla, who'd been Queen of Glacia long ago. He often suspected- but never dared ask- that she'd been hurt by someone. It was the only reason he could give for a witch to react the way she did. Irrelevant in any case. Reason or not, Lilith was effective in ending male attention. So yeah, no chance of anyone getting themselves killed _that_ way.

Lucivar wondered if the Lady was aware of Alex's interest. That story about why it had taken three months for them to start the journey to Kaeleer felt a little hollow. He believed Alex had hedged about whether he could survive in Kaeleer after living in Draega his whole life. But there had to be more to it than just that. Part of it could be that the two of them were dancing around whatever this was- or wasn't- between them.

It was going to be hell around here until they sorted it out. Lucivar was determined not to hang around until they did, and was asking Daemon to change the front door to a Red lock as soon as possible. That would still keep Lilith in, but at least the rest of them could escape.

He hadn't realized just how long he'd been thinking until Alex spoke.

"About this Mrs. Beale…just how scary is this witch? I kept hearing her name come up during meals today, and I'm getting the impression that she's not someone I want to cross."

Thank the Darkness, a safe topic. Lucivar scratched his jaw absently while he thought of a way to answer the boyo's question.

"She's gotten on in years, so she's not quite as intimidating as she used to be, but you're right. You do not want to cross her if you intend to stay in the Hall."

"What will she do?"

"I prefer not to think about it. I've known a lot of witches in my time, but the sight of her with that meat cleaver when she's riled is not an image that I take lightly. I don't care that she wears Yellow Jewels- that's one scary lady."

"Yellow…you said Yellow Jewels. That's it?"

"Yep."

"But, you all wear…"

"Boyo, I _know_ what I wear. I still don't cross Mrs. Beale about her kitchen."

He could see the consternated frown on Alex's face, and shrugged.

"If you don't believe me, go ahead and see for yourself. If you want to truly rile her up, snitch some of the food she's set aside for the evening meal. That will give you a pretty good idea why we all leave the kitchen domain alone."

"I think I'll take your word on it."

Lucivar grinned as they finally reached their destination.

"Wise decision. Now, I hope you were paying attention to how we got here, because I expect to see you in this room tomorrow morning ready for practice."

**6/Kaeleer**

"Did you have any other questions?" Lilith asked after a few minutes had passed.

_So much for that subject._ Daemon adjusted the direction of conversation, hoping to circle back again.

"Last night you mentioned that you had 'other interests' in Hayll. I want to know what those are."

Lilith thought for a moment. He'd get a truthful answer, but obviously she was deciding what version of it she was going to offer.

"There are Queens in Draega who can overthrow Meredith with enough guidance and time- if she doesn't find them before they're ready."

An image flashed in his mind's eye, and Daemon recalled what he'd seen when executing Lord Henkel. A Queen standing next to Lilith. What were the names?

"You wouldn't mean Queen Collette and Queen Tarine, would you, witchling?"

Lilith froze, and Daemon caught a brief flash of alarm before she could hide it from him. So his guess must have been on target. She ran her finger along the arm of the chair and stared at the desk for a long while.

"You've been back to Hell since I left," she said at last. "I'd hoped to have delivered the Prince and gone before that happened."

"Well, you didn't."

"There's only one person who could have told you those names."

"Yes, I met Warlord Henkel. Do you have any idea what he wanted to do to you, witchling?"

"What he tried to do Tarine's cousin. What he almost did to the tavern girl in Collette's district. What I know he succeeded in doing in other places. Yes, High Lord, I know. That's why I turned him over to you."

"You wrote the note," he said as soon as his voice worked again.

She nodded, but said nothing. A terrifying suspicion gripped him suddenly. _Appeared out of nowhere, they said._ Demons don't just appear at the Keep.

"How did Warlord Henkel get to the Keep in Hell, Lilith?" Daemon kept his words deadly soft.

"I bought him there," she confessed reluctantly.

"You…"

"I had to. I knew what he'd done- we couldn't just finish the kill. Even you must admit that would've been too easy a death for someone like _him_. And I definitely couldn't risk that he'd stay in Draega to prey on Collette and her people. It was the only option."

A headache began to throb in his temples, and Daemon was sorely tempted to call in something that could fuzz his nerves. Bad enough Lilith was wandering around Hayll, but it seemed she had no qualms about Hell, either. He found he couldn't ask her if she had ever been further than the Keep. Today was not the day to have that discussion.

"We'll discuss Warlord Henkel another day."

"If you wish, High Lord."

_That'll be the day_, he thought darkly.

"I'm more interested in the Queens right now. What exactly have you been doing, Lilith?"

"They needed to learn Protocol. That's what they were missing in the beginning that started all this. So I'm giving it back to them."

Interesting. Lilith had learned Protocol no question, but he was curious how she thought she knew enough to be teaching it to people who had no foundation at all. Especially when it came to Court structure. The Lady had never served in one in Kaeleer.

"So you think you know Protocol well enough to instruct them, do you?"

"I don't _think_ I do- I _know_ it."

"By whose standards, witchling?"

She went completely still and stared at him- or rather, through him. Daemon felt a chill whisper down his spine as the look in her eyes changed. They were golden mirrors, like early morning sunlight reflecting on a lake. And the expression behind them was deeper than any body of water. As if something out of the Abyss was looking at him.

"Test me if you like, Prince."

Mother Night, it was in her voice, too.

Then she lowered her lashes, and the look was gone. Daemon tried not to let it show just how badly he was shaken. If he didn't know better, he would swear that she had been someone- or something- else in that moment. That was not something he was prepared to think about right now. Not until he'd spoken with Tersa.

"Why don't we save that for another day as well."

"As you like."

"So is that it- you teach them Protocol and hope to stay ahead of Meredith until they're ready to rise up against her?"

"It takes a little more than hope to avoid that bitch."

Daemon winced at the knife-edge in her voice.

"Just how much more?"

Lilith shrugged. "A little Craft and a spell here and there to mask a caste that would attract her attention. Maybe a few others to obscure a few blocks of the city from the pet Queens nearby."

Oh he didn't like the sound of that at all. Unless he'd misunderstood, Lilith was teaching the Queens how to disguise their caste. He didn't even want to _know _what she meant by that second part. Neither of those spells was standard in Craft lessons- even among the Black Widows. So just where did Lilith learn them?

"And is that something Tersa taught you how to do?"

"Well, I…"

"Because it's certainly not Craft that Jaenelle Saetien knows how to do." _I hope_. "If you didn't learn it from her, that would leave Tersa. Unless you have someone else that you left out of your story yesterday."

"I do a lot of reading…at the Keep."

"You mean in the library archives at the Keep."

"Yes."

"I see. And you've learned those spells from books."

"Among others."

Daemon was going to have a serious chat with the Keep's librarian as soon as he could sort out this mess. It was more than obvious that Lilith let loose among the books and parchments there had terrifying consequences. Who knew what other spells she'd unearthed in her visits. Or how many of them she may have passed on to his darling daughter. Daemon wasn't sure which of those thoughts was worse.

Now he understood what it must have been like for Saetan. He'd heard of the times his father had pinned the Keep's librarian to a wall, wanting to know just what volume and passage Jaenelle had looked up during her last visit. Apparently, it hadn't been enough for him to warn Geoffrey that anything Jaenelle Saetien researched should be passed on to him. He should have made it clear that anything her coven researched was something he wanted to know.

_An error I will definitely correct as soon as possible._

Lilith was leaning back in her chair, a bemused expression on her face.

"I think I've given you quite the shock for the day, haven't I?"

"Not a shock, but a reminder of how terrifying witches like you can be."

The amusement in her eyes died, replaced once more by an expressionless mask. Daemon cursed himself for whatever he'd said to make her react that way. He'd just lost a perfect opportunity to catch her when she was unguarded.

So now what? Daemon still had questions about Hayll and what she was doing there. But he had time to wait for a better opportunity. The Black shield on the Hall would make sure of that. Maybe now was the time to ask a few questions about his son.

"I think that's enough questions about what you've been up to- for today."

"Thank the Darkness," she muttered, starting to rise. "That means I can go, right?"

"Sit, witchling."

"Damn. What now?"

"I have some questions about Meredith's Court."

"You mean questions about the Prince." She sank into the chair and blew out a breath. "I hope you realize there's only so much I can tell you."

"I'm sure there are things you don't know and can't tell me."

"There are things I can't tell you, High Lord," Lilith said with a shake of her head. "But that doesn't mean I don't know. I'm just not the right person to be giving the answers."

Well, that told him a lot already. Daemon steadied himself until he thought he could ask the first question with an even voice.

"Did they ring him?"

"'Nelle asked me that, too. I'll give you the same answer. There's no other way they could have controlled him if they hadn't." She seemed troubled. "Even with it…well…I'm sure you can imagine what a Warlord Prince like him can do in spite of the Ring."

Daemon could do more than imagine. He could simply replay all the twisted games he'd played while Dorothea had controlled him. Did Lilith know that, or was her comment only an educated guess? Either way, it was an uncomfortable thought.

"And now I'm guessing that Ring…"

"Has been dealt with," Lilith finished quietly.

"Dealt with how exactly?"

"Destroyed. Which is as much as anyone needs to hear."

And all she was going to tell him, no matter how often he questioned her about it. He'd have to bring it up with Alex to find out more. Not a thrilling prospect.

"In any case, your biggest worry is far less tangible, High Lord. The Prince is going to need you- all of you- to reconcile what he is with what he wants to be."

Daemon feared what she would tell him, but he asked Lilith what needed to be asked.

"And what is he, Lady?"

Lilith's eyes drifted upwards for a second or two before she focused her attention back on him. Whatever she was about to say, Daemon knew he wasn't going to like it.

"Capable of doing anything if provoked. Or even if not. A description I'm guessing you can recognize."

"If you were thinking of the High Lord, it's a little off."

"Maybe for the High Lord," she agreed and paused a breath. "But not if I meant to describe the Sadist."

An ominous hiss escaped through his teeth. That was not a facet of himself that most people dared talk about- and definitely not to him. Daemon felt his temper shift, as if she'd called the Sadist to the surface by name. Well, Lilith was about to experience what it was like to dance with him.

"And what would you know of him?"

Not even the slightest waver in her gaze, merely an appreciative look as she measured what to say next. The witch certainly had a spine of steel. Her words were careful, but brutally honest.

"First I'll tell you what the people of Hayll know of him. Meredith and her coven paint a very vivid picture of the Warlord Prince known as the Sadist- and what he used to do to witches before the Purge. They cite him as the reason why males need to be controlled with the Ring. Stories circulating among the Blood say Queens and witches died in those days because males like him weren't leashed tightly enough. They say that witches were too afraid to use the Ring as much as they should have, and their weakness was why they died."

Daemon's temper nearly slipped the leash, and he knew his eyes were glazed. Lilith didn't move or say anything. She sat in the chair and waited for the moment to pass. It didn't. Her serenity was the only reason the room was in one piece. Despite that, his reply vibrated with the effort to contain that violence.

"Alex has heard those stories."

It was not a question, but it demanded an answer. Lilith nodded slowly.

"Meredith made sure of that. What better way to ensure that he'd never go looking in your direction for help, even if he did find out who he really was?"

Mother Night, Lilith was right. That realization only added more fuel to his temper, and he damned Meredith and her coven to Hell or worse.

"Does he know?"

"Yes."

"Of course he does."

"But I made sure he also heard what _I _know."

"And what is that?" he demanded softly.

"That the Blood needed the Sadist- still need him, in fact. And that he only gave them what they deserved. Like Meredith's bitches deserve what the Prince has done to them. Because sometimes, we have to be willing to do the unthinkable in the service of justice."

"You told him that."

"Yes, I did. Because it's true."

Mother Night and may the Darkness be merciful. Lilith was serious. More than serious- she looked downright feral at the moment. The Sadist slipped away, leaving Daemon feeling very unsettled.

_What are you, Lilith, _he wondered. Because in moments like these, Daemon truly didn't know. And the more he was learning about her, the more he questioned if he wanted to know.

"And Alex has heard you say this," Daemon repeated.

"Yes, High Lord, he has."

He would have to sit down with his son and talk about that conversation. If she'd used that tone of voice, there's no telling what Alex might think of him. Or what he thought of Lilith, for that matter.


	29. Chapter 28: Confessions and Proposals

**1/Terreille**

A day or two had turned into nearly a week. Lord Willem had been back to the inn several times to assure them that everything was fine and that Lady Claudia would hold an audience as soon as possible. He never said directly what the delay was, though. Even Bethaeny had to admit she was getting nervous. And Ettia…

"We're going to die here," her cousin muttered for the thousandth time.

"If they wanted us dead, it'd be done by now."

"You can't know for sure."

"And neither can you."

Bethaeny sighed, and grabbed the Protocol book on the table. Over the past few days, she'd spent more time reading it. Once or twice, she'd been able to debate with Lord Shaede about the things that were the most confusing. Ettia had joined them a few times, even if she was just trying to point out the flaws.

"There's nothing in that book that's going to save you, you know."

"That's not why I'm reading it," she snapped back.

Now Ettia sighed. She collapsed wearily into the chair opposite Bethaeny's and stared up at the ceiling. For a while, only the occasional page turn broke the silence between them. She was startled when her cousin finally said something.

"Do you really think I'm no better than Meredith or Valinna?"

Bethaeny looked up, surprised by the sincerity she heard in Ettia's voice. She closed the book and set it aside. How did she answer that question honestly without ruining what was left of their relationship?

"I think that the path you are leading us down will be no different than theirs in the end- even if that's not what you mean to do."

"I don't ever want to be like them."

"Nor do I."

Ettia's eyes didn't leave the ceiling, but she gestured to Bethaeny with her left hand.

"You're never going to be like them, cousin. I knew that the first day Aunt Berda sent you to Meredith's court."

"And that I'd get myself killed one day."

Her cousin didn't need to answer, having already said as much during their argument in the inn common room. So it wasn't surprising when she didn't. Instead, Ettia shifted in the chair to look at her, expression troubled.

"I've been in her court for decades, and I've been wondering these past few days if what I've witnessed- what I've been a part of- is too late to undo." Ettia tapped her chest. "In here."

"Of course we can undo it," Bethaeny protested. "It will just take some time."

"I appreciate your enthusiasm, cousin, but I don't feel so optimistic."

Bethaeny couldn't speak at first, frightened by what she was hearing. Ettia almost sounded like she was giving up on their cause. Would she really just give up and join Meredith? She'd lose her cousin for good if that happened. And Hayll would lose even more.

"What are you suggesting, Ettia?"

"If we're meant to live through this like you seem to think we are," she started slowly. "Then I think you should take over in our group."

Her jaw was probably scraping the tabletop in shock, judging by the way her cousin was looking at her.

"Surprising to hear me say that, isn't it?"

"Well…yeah. I mean, this whole thing was your idea. And now you just want to give up?"

"I'm not giving up. I am just…trying to accept that I may not be the best choice to lead. Not until I know if I'm really changing anything for the better."

As much as she wanted to believe that Ettia was having a breakthrough, Bethaeny was still wary. Had to be. She didn't want to believe that Meredith and Valinna had poisoned her cousin, tainting her with their ideas. She wanted to believe that Ettia was simply caught up in her own lies that kept her alive in court. But the longer someone lived a lie, the more it became true.

Bethaeny had nearly stood on those crossroads herself, even though Ettia thought she hadn't. She couldn't deny that anyone caught on the wrong side of that line was dangerous.

Which was why she needed to watch her back. She would do what she could to help Ettia break whatever hold Meredith and Valinna had on her, but she couldn't be careless enough to risk everything for her. The good of Hayll had to come first- even before family.

It was a bitter choice to make.

"All right. If that's what you want, I'll do it."

Just then, the door opened and Lord Willem stepped inside. He looked grim, nodding to both of them. Bethaeny jerked to her feet. So did Ettia.

"Lady Claudia has scheduled an audience for this afternoon. She'd asked me to escort you both to the Queen's Residence."

"Now?"

"Yes. Now."

Apprehension ran through her, and Bethaeny tried to hide that her hands were trembling. She'd done well convincing herself this whole time that they'd be fine. Those terse words and the lack of any smile just about undid all of her confidence. Bethaeny clutched the folds of her skirt and took a step towards the door.

"We're ready," unable to hide a quaver in her voice.

Lord Willem heard it and the grim look softened a little.

"It won't be that bad, Lady Bethaeny."

"Hard to believe it when you come in here with a look that could sour milk," Ettia remarked.

"Ettia!"

Bethaeny gaped at her cousin, not believing what she'd just heard her say. Apparently, neither could Lord Willem. His eyebrows nearly disappeared into the long raven hair that tumbled over his forehead. The three of them stood there in stunned silence for a few minutes before he regained his composure. She cringed, waiting to hear what he'd have to say.

"Well you'd know best about that, wouldn't you , Lady Ettia?"

The harsh words were belied by his teasing tone.

"Beg your pardon?"

"Your talents are no less impressive when it comes to souring milk with a look," he replied with a wink.

Before she could sputter out a retort, he'd already taken her hand and guided her out of the room. That left Bethaeny standing behind them, quite bemused. What in the hell just happened? She was still stumped when Lord Shaede came in to fetch her next.

"Are you all right, Lady Bethaeny?"

"The male gender is so strange," she told him. "I don't think I'm ever going to figure it out."

"Quite frankly, the feeling is mutual," he grumbled good-naturedly. "I don't see myself ever understanding females, either."

"Wonderful. Shall we go, then?"

Lord Shaede held out his right hand. For a minute, Bethaeny just looked at it, frowning. She'd read enough in the Protocol books to know he wasn't doing that right. His Jewels out-ranked hers- shouldn't she be on his left and not the other way around?

"What's the matter now?"

"That's the wrong hand."

"What?"

"I don't want to look like an idiot walking through Amdarh. You're supposed to be on the right, not the left."

"Since when do you quote Protocol at me?"

"Since when I know I'm right."

He glanced over at the Protocol book lying on the table and rolled his eyes. But he switched sides without arguing about it. Just as well, since he'd lose. She couldn't resist giving him an 'I told you so' look. A few times on the walk, she did hear him muttering something under his breath. Bethaeny pretended not to hear.

**2/Terreille**

Claudia studied the two witches carefully. Lady Bethaeny and Lady Ettia were typical of most Hayllians as far as looks went. They had the same black hair, browned skin and golden eyes as all three of the long-lived races. If they'd been Dhemlan, their Jewels wouldn't be overly impressive. The Green for Ettia's Rank and the Blood Opal for Bethaeny. For Hayllians, though, those were quite dark.

They were noticeably uneasy about being brought before her for an audience. In their place, she wouldn't blame them. They'd openly confessed to being spies for Hayll- for that bitch Meredith. As Territory Queen for Dhemlan, Claudia had no mercy for anyone who posed a threat to her people. She knew Meredith had even less for anyone who threatened _her_.

According to Lord Willem, though, something was off about their confession. He had given her a brief overview of the conversation he'd had with them in the Hayllian quarter of the city. Based on what he'd said, Claudia felt it was necessary to hear from her sources in Draega before meeting the witches. So she'd postponed the audience until the next report came.

It had taken much longer than she'd expected. And having seen its contents, Claudia knew why.

Never in her life would she have been prepared for what she'd read when it arrived yesterday. The state of things in Hayll was even worse than she'd imagined. Far worse than they could ignore for much longer. Meredith was planning a slaughter in Dhemlan, and she was honing her techniques in her own city. Monstrous.

_Raenel, why didn't you say anything about any of this? Where have you _been_ for the past four months?_

Claudia wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer to those questions. She feared the witch had gambled once too often against Meredith and lost. No matter how important or complicated the errand, Raenel should have finished it by now. Or at least sent some kind of word that she'd been delayed.

She swept her concern for Raenel aside to deal with the witches before her.

"Lady Bethaeny. Lady Ettia. Lord Willem has given me an account of how you came to be in my Territory."

They both winced, but said nothing.

"He's told me that Lady Meredith sent you to Dhemlan to spy for her. Now I want an explanation why I shouldn't hand you over to my Master of the Guard."

The witches exchanged a glance before Bethaeny stepped forward. Interesting. Claudia would have expected Ettia to be the one to respond. She was older and wore the dominant Jewels. So why was she deferring to her younger cousin? That was something to keep in mind.

"Because we're not spies, Lady Claudia. At least, not spies _for _Meredith."

Ahhh, the nuances one heard in those words. She knew what would follow, but asked all the same.

"Do explain."

"We're spies _against_ Meredith. My cousin and I have been working with other witches in secret back in Draega for the past few months. We want to get rid of her and Valinna." The witch paused slightly. "And everyone else in Hayll who supports their rule."

Claudia said nothing, letting Lady Bethaeny complete her story before asking any questions. She did notice how Ettia's face tightened. Did her reaction stem from fear or anger? Claudia wasn't sure, but either way, she was not happy that her cousin provided that information so quickly.

"That's the real reason Meredith sent us here, of course. We've been careful enough that she can't _prove_ we've been plotting against her, but either she or Valinna suspected something was going on."

Bethaeny's voice gained strength as she continued.

"Quite frankly, Lady, they want us dead. But they're too smart to do it directly. So when they cooked up this idea about Dhemlan spies in Hayll, naturally we were the ones they sent here to spy on you. It was a win-win. You discover us- we're dead; We come back without anything useful- they call us traitors and we're dead."

"We had no choice but to come to Amdarh," the witch continued. "That aside, I wanted to come, anyway. To see what life was like in another Territory and to get ideas how to fix things in Hayll. And that's about the point where I met Lord Willem and Lord Shaede. They showed me exactly what I'd been looking for."

The words were sincerely spoken. Claudia would have known if the witch had told even the tiniest lie, thanks to a spell Raenel had taught her long ago. Nothing fancy- just a simple compulsion spell. But it was subtle. Almost undetectable, actually. Even by someone wearing dark Jewels.

So what did all this mean if what Bethaeny had said was true? Might as well find out.

"And what was that, Lady Bethaeny?"

"This," she said, gesturing to the audience room and the members of the Court present. "A Blood society with laws that protect everyone and where everyone- no matter what caste they belong to or Jewels they wear- is held accountable if they're not followed."

Hell's fire. The witch sounded determined enough to try to change Hayll single-handedly. Claudia wished that Raenel were here to meet her. Not only would they get along, she'd also be a welcome asset in their existing network. Maybe if she sent word to the Keep in Askavi, Claudia could find out where Raenel was. It couldn't hurt to try, anyway.

Or maybe it could. Lady Bethaeny's intentions were clear, but her cousin's were less certain. A schism there that could make her dangerous. Ettia wanted something like what she saw in Dhemlan, but either she doubted it could work in Hayll…or she was afraid it would.

Claudia had seen that before in other witches. They didn't want the fear and pain of their old life in Hayll, but were terrified to embrace something new. Even if it was a better life. Some adjusted with time.

Others didn't. They usually went back to Hayll to make a life as best they could. But a very few tried to recreate in Dhemlan what they knew of Hayll. As much as it pained her to do it, those individuals were destroyed.

Which fate would befall Lady Ettia? She couldn't say. And because she couldn't, Claudia hesitated about trying to contact anyone at the Keep about Raenel. At least until she had more time to sort this out.

"I'm curious, Lady Bethaeny. After serving in her court for so long, what inspired the two of you turn down this path?"

"It just seemed like the best time to try. What with the Rings gone and Prince DeSade with them. The coven was starting to break apart, and we thought maybe we could use that against Meredith."

"Yes, Lord Willem mentioned that the Rings were all stolen from Hayll, and that's the basis for this rumor about Dhemlan spies. Do either of you have any insight on how that happened?"

Bethaeny hesitated, a queasy look on her face. Ettia must have noticed and stepped forward to answer.

"There was this witch. She managed to slip amongst the rest of the staff unnoticed. Apparently, her aim was to relieve the coven of the Rings."

Claudia fought to keep her expression neutral. But inside, her heart jumped. Raenel. It had to be her. She'd said her next errand would shake Hayll to the core.

"Well, Meredith caught her in the storage room, stealing the extra Rings. She summoned the whole coven and had Valinna interrogate the witch for hours. Never did any good, though."

"How do you mean, Lady Ettia?"

"I don't know how the witch withstood it, but they couldn't get a single answer out of her. No matter what Valinna did to her. Not a peep about where she'd stashed the missing Rings- not even her name or Jewels."

She didn't want to, but she had to ask.

"Can you recall what the witch looked like?"

"Black hair- probably fell somewhere halfway down her back. Brown skin. Although, it did have a little more of a golden hue to it than most Hayllians. I don't think she stood much taller than either of us. But her eyes…"

"What about them?"

"They were unusual. Sure, they were gold typical to the long-lived races. But the color was…" Ettia paused to think. "When I was young, I lived near a river. In the summer, I'd go out early to fetch water. When the sun hit the surface just right, the color was a dazzling shade of gold."

Claudia's heart sank. No other witch in any of the Realms had eyes like that. She braced herself before asking the witch her next question. No matter how Ettia answered, it would be bad news. Meredith commanded the Gray, and Valinna the Red. Raenel wore only the Sapphire. There was no way she could have survived any retaliation from them.

"Can you tell me what happened to her?"

"Mostly," Ettia said uneasily. "I know what I saw and what my cousin saw, Lady."

"Even that much would be helpful."

"Meredith was furious when she realized the witch wasn't going to give her what she wanted. So she dosed her with _safframate_ and handed her over to Grael, one of her pet Warlords."

"No," Claudia whispered in horror.

"It would have been bad enough if it had gone as Meredith planned. Grael would have broken her and given the witch back to Valinna to scoop out the information Meredith wanted. But the _Prince_ changed all that."

She knew which Prince Ettia meant. Even as far away as Dhemlan, witches heard stories of the notorious Prince DeSade. Meredith's most lethal and mysterious weapon. Lethal based on the stories of what he did to witches. Mysterious because no one in Dhemlan had been able to find out where he'd come from or what he looked like.

"Prince DeSade killed Grael and took the witch to his suite," Ettia continued. "Meredith was livid at first, but when she realized he wanted to- well, I'd rather not think about what he wanted to do with her- she gave him three days with the witch. Said she didn't care what he did, so long as the witch was still alive when she came back."

"And was she?"

The witched glanced at her cousin, who looked ready to be sick.

"Bethaeny?"

"I can't," she said with a shake of her head. "Please don't make me tell her, Ettia."

"You're the only one besides Meredith and Valinna who saw the room. Not me."

Lady Bethaeny took a few shallow breaths to steady herself. When she seemed calm again, she looked up at Claudia.

"Meredith had us come with her three days later," she began slowly. "When he didn't answer her summons, s-she sent me into his suite. _No one_ goes into the Prince's suite. I thought I was as good as dead, but I went. Didn't have much of a choice."

The witch paused again.

"Take your time, Lady," Claudia said soothingly.

"There was so much…rage…in that room. I've never been so afraid of anything in my life. Especially as I got closer to the bedroom. That's when I looked in and saw…" Bethaeny's eyes filled with tears. "So much blood. It was everywhere- on everything. What little was left of the witch was still in the bed. Didn't even look like it could have been human once. I ran away so fast I didn't even realize that Prince DeSade was missing."

The room was deathly silent. The entire court was stunned, unprepared for the gruesome account. For those who'd known Raenel, the news hit especially hard. She saw Lord Willem's fists clenched in impotent fury. There was nothing any of them could do. Ettia wrapped her arms around her cousin and held the trembling witch.

"It'll be okay, Bethaeny. Just let it go."

"I can't. I wish she'd never undone that spell so I'd remember what I saw in that room."

"What spell?" Claudia asked as soon as she found a steady voice.

"Valinna used her Black Widow Craft to make us forget what we'd discovered. She and Meredith wanted to hide from the coven that the Prince had escaped. But when they didn't find him after two months, Meredith revealed what really happened. She had Valinna release the spell she'd put on us so Bethaeny could testify to the others what she'd seen."

"And where is Prince DeSade now?"

"No one knows," Ettia replied. "We all thought he'd rip Draega apart- the coven especially. But he just vanished without a trace."

That was far more ominous than a Territory wide slaughter. Prince DeSade could be anywhere- even in Dhemlan. What Jewels did he wear? They'd never heard a whisper of that in the stories. Could she possibly stop him if he was hunting in her Territory?

"Could he have taken down the coven- and Meredith- if he wanted?"

"He wears the Ebon-Gray, so if he somehow got free of the Ring Meredith put on him, he absolutely could."

Mother Night. The Ebon-Gray. No one in Dhemlan wore Jewels that dark. Or in Askavi, either. In fact, she didn't think anyone in all of Terreille had been gifted with the Ebon-Gray since Lucivar Yaslana lived here.

Only one answer. They would need help from the Blood in Kaeleer to subdue Prince DeSade. Just as well, Claudia thought dismally. She needed to tell their Dhemlan kin in the Shadow Realm- Jaenelle Saetien especially- that Raenel was dead.

That was a message she was _not_ looking forward to sending. Jaenelle had asked Claudia to keep an eye on Raenel when she was in Terreille. She'd said that Raenel had little sense to worry herself over it. Letting the witch get herself killed was far from keeping that promise.

"You know who she was," Bethaeny said, suddenly very alert. She stepped away from her cousin. "The witch the Prince killed. You knew her."

Too many people in the audience chamber to answer that question. Not so much answering the yes or no. It was the how. Claudia needed to conclude the public session before she went any further with this discussion.

"Before we get to that, I think we should conclude our official business here." She stood and swept her eyes over the room. "Lady Bethaeny and Lady Ettia have explained themselves to my satisfaction. All accusations that they are spies for Lady Meredith are dropped. This is my will as Queen of Dhemlan."

Her Master of the Guard, Prince Vaerill, approached with the Steward, Prince Kholt. They both bowed.

"Your will is my life," each of them said solemnly. "We will ensure that it is carried out as you command."

"That will conclude today's audience. I would like to speak with my First Circle at this time. Warlords Willem and Shaede- you will remain as well. With the Ladies."

The audience chamber was swiftly emptied. In no time, only a handful of people remained. Claudia nodded to Kholt and Vaerill.

"I think perhaps we should finish our discussion about Lady Raenel somewhere less formal."

"The blue salon down the hall would be more comfortable," Kholt suggested. "Should we call for the other First Circle members who weren't at the audience to meet us there?"

"No, I think we have who we need present. You may use your discretion as to informing the others later on."

"Understood, Lady."

They all walked down to the smaller salon. She called for refreshments, and let everyone get settled while waiting for them to arrive. Several trays of sandwiches and tea appeared moments later. Claudia noticed that neither Bethaeny nor Ettia took anything at first. Lord Willem eventually succeeded in goading them into taking something. Interesting.

"All right. Now that everyone is settled, I'd like to address your question, Lady Bethaeny. Yes, I knew her. The witch Meredith caught stealing Rings was Lady Raenel. She was a friend of mine."

**3/Terreille**

_So Meredith was right_, Ettia thought. _Dhemlan _is _sending spies into Hayll. Who would have known the bitch would have such a lucky guess?_

"So she's Dhemlan and not Hayllian."

"Yes, but not quite in the way you're thinking."

"What the heck does that mean?"

"Raenel is from Dhemlan Kaeleer, not Dhemlan Terreille."

The wheels in Ettia's head ground to a screeching halt. Kaeleer? The Shadow Realm? It just couldn't be possible. Everyone knew Kaeleer was just a myth. A legend from long ago. She shook her head in disbelief.

"Impossible. Absolutely impossible."

"It absolutely is," Lady Claudia replied. "One of the first things Meredith and Valinna did after they had control of Hayll was to purge all references to the Shadow Realm. They wanted to cut off any chance someone would appeal to Kaeleer for help."

Now that was entirely believable.

Ettia had seen time and time again how Meredith covered up the truth when it suited her. So why would it surprise her that she'd lied about Kaeleer? She and Bethaeny were too young to know what had happened in those early years. By the time they were adults, the Shadow Realm was already established as a place of legend.

Could things have been different in Hayll if someone had thought to ask for help before it had gotten to that point? Why hadn't anyone thought to try it? Ettia had no answer to those questions, so she asked another.

"And would they have helped if we'd asked?"

The Queen hesitated, sadness clouding her eyes before she could hide it.

"I don't know if they could have. But maybe there could have been a way…" she trailed off.

She wasn't going to say anything more about that, not even if Ettia asked. Whatever reasons Kaeleer might have for not helping Hayll, the Lady wouldn't divulge.

"Why would you let your friend come to Draega to do something so dangerous," Bethaeny asked.

"No one ever let Raenel do anything," the witch replied sharply. "If she said she was going to do something, she did it. I argued with her for several days before she went this last time. She went, anyway."

"Oh."

"So what I'm hearing, Lady Claudia, is that you didn't send her to Draega on purpose," Ettia spoke up.

"I've never sent Lady Raenel into Hayll. She always went on her on accord."

Ettia caught the slight change in emphasis of the Queen's words, and pounced on what she thought she heard in them.

"Never sent Lady Raenel- but you have sent other Dhemlans into Draega. Haven't you?"

The Queen studied her and Bethaeny for a long time before she answered the question. Ettia had the feeling that she was measuring something about them. Whatever they'd stumbled upon here, it was big. And depending on what Lady Claudia decided, they'd either end up dropped in the middle of it or shut out.

_I'm not sure which of those might be worse_.

"Yes, Lady Ettia. Dhemlan has had eyes and ears inside Hayll for some time now."

"Why?"

"To observe, primarily. I can't interfere with how Meredith chooses to run her Territory, but I can take precautions so that none of what she does will spread to Dhemlan- or any other Territory, for that matter."

"Why can't you?"

That question came from Bethaeny, her tone a few steps short of polite. Ettia glanced over at her warningly. Just because Lady Claudia publicly dismissed the accusations that they were spies didn't mean that they shouldn't be cautious around the Queen. No need to squander the reprieve by insulting her.

Lady Claudia acknowledged the outrage in her cousin's tone without any show of anger. Quite the opposite, actually. She was very patient and understanding in her reply.

"It's one of the most vital- and yet frustrating- laws set in Protocol. A Queen's will is the law in her Territory. She may rule it as she sees fit and a Queen from another Territory cannot interfere without invitation. Not even if it means letting her rape the land and destroy its people."

Meredith had certainly done a lot of both over the centuries. It explained why none of the other Territories had done anything about the situation in Hayll. If all of them followed this version of Protocol, they were bound by it not to intervene.

Without invitation.

Ettia jackknifed in her chair when those last two words registered. Her eyes flicked over to Bethaeny, but her cousin hadn't realized what those words might mean for them. When she looked back at the Queen, she got the feeling that the phrasing of her answer was deliberate. Now it was up to Ettia to decide what to do with it.

"Invitation from who?" she asked cautiously.

"From anyone living in the Territory."

Now Bethaeny's attention was caught. Her cousin suddenly had a death grip on the arms of the chair. Ettia ignored her and asked a question she suspected would change everything.

"And if someone did ask- what would a Queen be permitted to do then?"

"It all depends on what was asked."

Not the most explicit answer she could have given in Ettia's opinion. No telling what boundaries or limits they'd run into unless they actually asked for something. She didn't like the risk that whatever Lady Claudia could give wouldn't be enough.

*Mother Night, Ettia, I think she's telling us that Dhemlan could help us against Meredith if we asked*

*But how much, cousin? Do you think Lady Claudia would send an army of Dhemlans into Hayll if that's what we'd ask for? Somehow, I doubt it*

*Maybe we don't need an army*

*I don't know what we need*

*Then maybe we should start with that- ask for help figuring out how to oust Meredith and Valinna*

It wasn't a bad idea, Ettia had to admit. Except for the nagging worry that Lady Claudia and her Court might have some hidden agenda in all this. The Queen may spin a convincing story, but what did she really hope to gain in all this? No one did anything without wanting something in exchange. And that was fine, so long as whatever they wanted didn't interfere with what _she_ wanted.

But the reality was they needed help, and Dhemlan sounded like it was offering to supply it. Ettia couldn't really afford to turn it down. Especially if it would help her with this situation with Bethaeny.

The past few days had given her time to think. Like it or not, her cousin was growing into a strong witch. Far stronger than Ettia had expected or anticipated a few short months ago. The time in Dhemlan had only magnified traits must have lain dormant while they'd lived in Hayll. Traits that Ettia was starting to realize she didn't have in herself.

It was galling to think that maybe she wasn't the leader she'd always thought she was. And maybe she was, but those instincts had been withered and stunted thanks to so many years serving Valinna and Meredith. The longer they stayed away from Draega, the more she began to question just how much of who she was now was really her. And how much was what those two created.

_Am I tainted?_

If she was, Ettia wasn't sure there was a way back to what she had been. Until she had answers to both of those questions, she had no choice but to let Bethaeny assume leadership of their group. Not because she wasn't capable of managing things. Even if she was tainted, Ettia still thought that her vision of Hayll would be better than Meredith's.

No, she had to give up her position because now Bethaeny had grown too strong to follow someone who'd been tainted- even if that someone was family. And the others wouldn't be able to ignore her questions for very long. Then they would start to question her and the whole thing would fall apart. Meredith and Valinna would win and nothing would ever change.

But if she put Bethaeny in charge and formally stepped down…

Their efforts to take down Meredith and Valinna wouldn't fizzle and she could work behind the scenes to keep her cousin's crazier ideas in check. Like teaching this new Protocol to everyone when they got back. It might seem like a good idea, but it was just dangerous. Especially if Meredith or Valinna got wind of it.

Bethaeny was waiting for her response. Ettia nodded slightly and tried to sound non-committal.

*I suppose it couldn't hurt*

*Did you want to ask?*

*You ask-might as well practice now for when we get back to Draega*

*Oh…okay*

Her cousin turned to address Lady Claudia. She started a few times before finding phrasing that suited her.

"Lady Claudia, as witches born in the Territory of Hayll, my cousin and I would like to request Dhemlan's assistance on behalf of our people to end Meredith's rule."

"I see," the Queen considered. "What sort of help did you have in mind, Lady Bethaeny?"

"Tactics advice, as a start. We know what we don't want, and we think we know what we do want. But that's not the same as knowing how to get them. Our hope is that maybe you and your Court might."

Lady Claudia's face clouded with a hint of sadness and regret. Was even this request too much for Dhemlan to give? Ettia hadn't thought it was very much, but who knew with these people. Beside her, Bethaeny's hopeful spirits began to wane. And then the Queen spoke.

"We can certainly help. I can make arrangements for you to meet people who have knowledge you will need."

"We than k you, Lady Claudia."

"I only wish that you could have spoken with one of our greatest experts on the subject."

"We could delay our return to Hayll until the person returns, if that helps."

"I'm afraid it won't. Based on what I've heard today, she won't ever be back to Amdarh."

"You mean Lady Raenel," Ettia specified after a moment's pause.

"Yes, Lady Ettia. She had one of the greatest minds I've ever known when it came to healing a Territory."

Well that explained the look on the Queen's face. Did Lady Claudia regret the loss of the witch, or just the loss of a valuable asset? Either way, Lady Raenel and her skills were no longer available. Ettia measured what she'd just heard against what they saw in Hayll. A question formed before she could bottle it up.

"That's why she was stealing the Rings, wasn't it?"

"I believe so."

"I thought you said Dhemlan couldn't interfere with Hayll unless asked?"

"A _Queen_ cannot take action outside her own Territory," Lady Claudia repeated. "Lady Raenel wasn't a Queen of Dhemlan- or anywhere else for that matter. She was breaking no Blood law in Hayll."

Interesting, and something Ettia would keep in mind for later. For now, she let everyone think that answer satisfied her curiosity.

"Well, I'm not sure what the Lady hoped to accomplish by stealing those Rings, but it certainly has ripped Draega apart in the past few months."

"And if not for that, we wouldn't be here in Amdarh in a position to find the help we need," Bethaeny added with a meaningful look at Ettia. "So I'm at least grateful for that."

"I think Raenel would have been glad, too."

Bethaeny must have replied, but Ettia wasn't really listening.

She studied a patch of late afternoon sun on the area rug, its deep purples and blues dusted a reddish-gold. She knew she ought to pay more attention to the conversation, but fatigue was setting in. The stress of the past four days had been draining. And now this audience seemed like it would never end. It was all she could do not to yawn.

"I think maybe this would be a good time for a break," Lady Claudia announced. "Dinner will be served in the main dining hall in a few hours, and I think we'd all like a chance to rest before then."

Thank the Darkness.

"Will my cousin and I be returning to the inn, then?"

"This evening you both will remain here in my Hall, and we'll discuss later how to get you the help you requested. Warlord Willem and Warlord Shaede?"

"Yes, Lady?"

"Would you coordinate with Lady Hattie to find rooms for Lady Bethaeny and Lady Ettia for the evening?"

"By your command, Lady."

_Well, I guess that's that_, Ettia thought dismally. The Queen's Residence may be better furnished, but the inn provided a little distance between her and Lady Claudia's Court. Not to mention the Queen herself. Some space to think and gather her thoughts before dinner. But if she couldn't get that, at least Ettia could console herself with the thought that she didn't have to walk across the city again today.

The Queen and the males of her First Circle left the salon. Lord Willem was already waiting for her, his expression amused.

"What say we find the two of you a room or you'll be passing out in the soup."

"And you'd sit there and let me drown no doubt," she retorted wryly.

"Nope," he replied with a teasing smile. "A well-placed fork would revive you quick enough."

Bethaeny giggled behind her hand, and Ettia shot her cousin a glare. Then she turned it back on Lord Willem.

"You'd better not dare!"

"Oh I do. So are we going or not?"

Ettia leapt out of the chair and snarled as she let him escort her from the room.


	30. Chapter 29: Educational Discussions

**1/Kaeleer**

It was late afternoon by the time Daemon had finished with Lilith. Finished with what he was going to get out of her today, anyway. A thousand other questions still remained unanswered about Hayll and…about other things. But they'd have to wait for another day.

All in all, he wasn't sure who was more relieved when he'd dismissed her from the study. And now he was in search of his darling witch-child to have a chat with her. If he could _find _her. After checking several of Jaenelle's usual haunts and not finding her, Daemon wondered if she'd used Twilight's Dawn to slip out of the Hall.

With that in mind, Daemon changed tactics. He was headed to the great hall when he ran across Lucivar.

"Finished with the witchling?"

"Hardly," Daemon replied drily. "But at least it was an educational start."

"No doubt," his brother replied with a lazy smile.

He was about to continue on to the hall when Lucivar stopped him.

"Listen, old son, we need to talk."

Daemon rocked back on his heels and slipped his hands into his trouser pockets. Studying his brother carefully, he assessed what he was in for now. If he were to bet on it like Surreal, Daemon would put his marks on trouble. This was no chance meeting No- Lucivar had been looking for him.

_He's worried, _Daemon realized. Almost nothing worried that arrogant Prick, so whatever this was, it was serious.

"Well, since I can't find Jaenelle Saetien, now would be a good time. So what is it we need to discuss?"

"Actually…I'd rather we do this in the study."

He said nothing and turned back the way he'd come, letting Lucivar fall in step beside him. Neither of them said anything the whole way to his study. And Daemon tried not to sigh when he found himself sitting behind the blackwood desk. Again.

"All right, Prick, what's going on?"

Lucivar prowled the study, and glanced back towards the door.

"Probably best to put up an aural shield. I don't want to take any chances anyone overhears what I'm about to say."

Meaning a Black aural shield. Daemon tried to settle the uneasy feeling that clawed at the back of his mind. Just because Lucivar wanted to keep this very private didn't mean something was wrong. He kept repeating that to himself as he raised the shield.

"Satisfied?"

"Well, so long as the waif keeps Alex busy on the other side of the Hall, should be good enough."

That explained why he couldn't find Jaenelle Saetien, but it sure as hell didn't settle the uneasy feeling.

"Mother Night. Just what is going on?"

Lucivar took a deep breath and let it out again.

"You're not the only one who had an educational conversation today, Bastard. The one I had with Alex on the way to the training room was…shit, I don't know where to begin with that. But there's something you need to know."

"And that is?"

"The boyo is interested in Lady Lilith."

Surely he'd heard wrong. No way Lucivar could have meant what those words meant. After what he'd been through in Draega, Alex was unlikely to find any witch interesting in _that_ way for a long while. Certainly not this quickly.

"That's…not possible," he said finally.

"Yeah, that look is familiar. I saw it an hour ago on Alex's face, too."

"How did something like that even come up?"

"The Boyo was asking about Courts in Kaeleer."

"Asking what?"

"Apparently, he's gotten his hands on Protocol books- real ones. Which is something you might want to ask him about, too, while you're at it. He didn't seem to want to explain how come Hayllian booksellers have real Protocol books."

"My guess is Lilith has been supplying them," Daemon answered with a sigh.

"Part of the educational discussion?"

"A small part."

In truth, he wasn't quite so curious about how the books were entering Hayll. Hardly a surprise after his conversation with Lilith today. That Alex had been just as secretive about the matter as the Lady herself was far more interesting. Something to keep in mind when he spoke with his son. Daemon shook his head.

"But back to the point…"

"Yeah, sure," Lucivar agreed with a shrug. "So the boyo was worried he'd be forced to serve in a Court. One thing led to another and before I know it, I'm ass deep in an explanation about that pull we feel for the Queen we're meant to serve."

Oh Mother Night. Daemon could only imagine his son's reaction to _that_. Not favorably, that's for certain. Lucivar stopped prowling the room and rested a hip against the corner of the desk. He dropped his voice to a low grumble.

"And then he starts asking some very peculiar- and very specific- questions."

"Such as?"

"First, he wanted to know if it was possible to feel that way by mistake. And then he asked if there was anything else it could mean," his brother said carefully.

"And you told him what else it could mean."

"He asked me. What else could I do?"

"Nothing, Prick. Although I would have liked to have been the one to answer those questions."

"Yeah, you and me both," Lucivar replied with a grimace.

His brother picked up a letter opener and turned it over in his hands a few times. When he set it down again, Daemon braced himself to hear whatever came next.

"By that point, I was pretty certain Alex had a reason for asking what he did. Wasn't sure what it was exactly, but no one asks those kinds of questions without a reason, you know? Well, then he asked me one last question. Wanted to know if it was possible to break the pull."

He actually experienced a sinking feeling. Lucivar continued with a slight nod.

"That's when I knew, Daemon. I knew what he'd been driving at the whole time. Alex has already had that feeling, and he was desperately hoping I'd tell him some way out of it."

"And you think that someone is Lilith."

"Based on what I saw at the midday meal- yeah, I do."

Daemon replayed everything in his mind while Lucivar merely watched him in silence. Alex had certainly been edgy all morning before Lilith showed up with 'Nelle. He'd dismissed it at the time, thinking that the boyo was just grateful to have a familiar face at the table- even a female one. Dismissed also the icy flash he'd seen when she'd chosen a seat. Just a normal reaction to the tension in the room, nothing more.

He couldn't dismiss any of it in light of what Lucivar had just told him. No, it had all meant something, and may the Darkness be merciful, they'd nearly been too blind to see it. A potentially lethal error, and not something Daemon felt quite ready to handle.

"Mother Night," he muttered to himself.

"You can see it now, too, can't you?"

"How in the name of Hell does that even happen?"

"Pretty sure that's one of the things Alex was trying to work out. He's no happier about it than you sound."

Unhappy wasn't quite the word Daemon would use for how he felt. Uneasy and apprehensive were far closer.

He'd been prepared for decades of work with Alex before the boyo would be capable of feeling any bond for a witch. Possibly decades- or centuries- for anything as strong as the pull to serve a Queen. He half expected that those bonds might never develop, given what Meredith had put him through.

Which, Daemon admitted reluctantly, may have been worse than what he'd been through himself.

Despite the horrors of growing up under Dorothea's court, at least he had Manny, Tersa and even Surreal as a balm against that cruelty. Reasons why he should hold onto the hope that one day he'd find a witch he could trust. Alex hadn't even that much. For six centuries. Six hundred years where witches were nothing more than the enemy. Impossible to imagine how any witch could have sparked his interest.

And not just any witch. Lilith.

Was he surprised? Not entirely. Daemon could imagine the first impression she had made on him in Draega. Knowing Lilith, she wouldn't have let his Jewels or his temper interfere with her determination to get Alex out of Hayll. Even if the Jewels were Ebon-Black and the temper downright lethal. Truth be told, Lilith could be just as formidable as any Warlord Prince.

And if that weren't enough, she was also a lovely woman. Often, he thought she reminded him of what Tersa might've looked like at that age- before she'd been broken. Especially the eyes. In his whole life he'd never seen eyes that shade of gold. And yet Lilith rarely made the most of it, downplaying her extraordinary looks.

There was just one problem. Lilith didn't like men.

Daemon had seen it firsthand. She was perfectly fine around Blood males…until one made an attempt to be more than a friend. No one was more effective at ending unwanted attention than Lilith. Her verbal knife was as sharp as any of Lucivar's war blades. Daemon shuddered to think what it could do to Alex.

Whatever came out of his son's interest in the witch, a rejection like that would be the worst. Not just a minor setback, but something capable of damaging forever any hope of Alex trusting a witch. Daemon couldn't let that happen. But if his son did decide to stake a claim, he couldn't force Lilith to accept it, either.

May the Darkness be merciful. What in the name of Hell were they going to do?

"Daemon?"

He shook himself out of his thoughts and raised his eyes to his brother's.

"There's one more question Alex asked that you should know about."

Lucivar paused for a long time. So long that Daemon wondered if he'd changed his mind. Wishful thinking on his part.

"Daemon, he asked if it could be both."

A second passed while the words tumbled around his head. He swore if he gave enough time, what he'd heard would make sense. But it didn't. Or maybe he just didn't want it to.

"Run that by me again."

"I told him the pull could be for serving a Queen or to have a lover. Alex wanted to know if it could be both at the same time."

Daemon called in a bottle of brandy and poured two glasses before responding. They were both entirely too sober to contemplate why his son might have been asking that question.

"That," he said after taking a large swallow, "likely won't make any of this easier to talk about. But maybe we can fool ourselves into thinking it will."

Lucivar raised his glass and downed it just as quickly. He set it down, empty, and Daemon poured them both another measure.

"So what do you think, old son?"

"I think that if she was hiding one caste from us, it's possible that the Lady could be hiding another." He thought of the conversation he had with Lilith earlier today. "Especially if she's been teaching Queens in Draega to mask theirs so they can hide from Meredith."

"Mother Night."

Queen Lilith. The very idea sent an icy shiver down his spine. She had been more than a handful when she was just a Sapphire Jeweled witch. In the space of two days, now she was a Black Widow and likely a Queen.

What else might she be tomorrow?

**2/Kaeleer**

'Nelle looked askance at her brother, who looked just as tense now as he had this morning at breakfast. Since Alex and Lilith arrived last night, this was her first chance to be alone with him. Not exactly the situation of her choosing, mind you. Uncle Lucivar just dumped him on her with instructions to keep Alex away from Papa's study for a while.

He wouldn't tell her _why_, but 'Nelle figured she'd find that out later. In the meantime, she had to think of something to keep her brother occupied. And since she couldn't find Lilith anywhere, she supposed it was going to be a solo effort. Nothing she couldn't handle.

In fact, this could be a great opportunity.

"So," she began slowly. "You survived three months with my friend."

Alex shot her a wary look and didn't answer, but 'Nelle wasn't deterred or discouraged in the least.

"What's she like when she's in Draega, anyway?"

"What do you mean?"

"We never really talk about what she is doing in Terreille, so it's hard to picture what she's like when she's there."

"From what little I've seen so far, not much different than she is when she's in Kaeleer."

"So…infuriatingly stubborn, right?"

"I'm not sure it's wise to answer that question either way," he countered.

"Oh well, it was worth a try."

They walked a little ways further in the corridor, on their way to one of 'Nelle's favorite indoor gardens. Alex's eyes were constantly roving over everything, but she had a feeling he really wasn't seeing anything. At least nothing here in the Hall. Time to try again.

"I wish Lilith would let me help her, though. Every time I've bought up the idea of going with her, she's blocked it somehow."

"You should be thanking her, Jaenelle Saetien."

"It's 'Nelle," she interrupted him quickly. "And why should I? I've got skills that would be useful there- more useful than anything I'm doing here in Kaeleer."

When he didn't answer right away, 'Nelle stopped walking and crossed her arms over her chest. She did her best to give him the 'annoying big sister stare', figuring now was as good a time as any to practice it. Alex stared back until finally he sighed.

"All right, 'Nelle it is," he conceded. "In any case, I'm just saying that things go on in Draega that no one should ever want to see."

She was going to protest again when she heard him muttering half under his breath.

"And Lilith shouldn't be risking herself, either."

"You sound just like Papa."

"Well, he's right."

They'd reached the entrance to the garden. 'Nelle did her best not to make a face at her brother, and led the way inside. At this time of year, the flower beds were in full bloom. Purples and blues dominated most of the space, accented by a splash of yellow or orange. The garden was tinier than some of the others, but that's one of the things she liked best. A perfect place to hide away for a while.

Alex followed her inside, obviously confused by the greenery around them. He turned slowly in a circle before his eyes met hers again.

"This is a garden."

"Yep, it is."

"Inside the Hall."

"One of several, actually. Papa gave this one to me to do with as I pleased."

"But it's inside the Hall."

He seemed to be stuck on that thought. 'Nelle sat on a stone bench and looked up at him.

"I'm guessing that none of the places you've been to before had something like this."

"Draega doesn't have gardens- except in a very few places." He walked over to one of the hanging baskets and traced a petal with his fingertips. "Meredith and her coven don't have much use for them."

"How can the Blood live in a large city like that without having any connection to the land?"

"After all I've learned these past few months, most Hayllians living in Draega aren't Blood. Certainly not Meredith or her coven."

_Just what did you learn, and who was teaching you_, 'Nelle wondered privately. She wanted to ask him, but had a feeling this wasn't the right time. Keep it simple.

"Fair point," 'Nelle conceded. "But that's why Lilith had to go. So she could teach them what they should be again."

Alex's hand stilled and he stared at her for several minutes. The look on his face was…well, 'Nelle wasn't quite sure. It wavered between wanting to agree with her and wanting to argue. And something else she couldn't read at all. At last he spoke.

"At what price, 'Nelle? Hayll has been corrupt for so long that one witch alone is taking a great risk without ever knowing that it'll ever succeed."

"You think she never should have gone to Hayll."

With an artless shrug, he evaded answering her question and glided along the path in the garden. 'Nelle could only sit in stunned silence at first. When she'd recovered, she leaped up from the bench and hurried over to her brother.

"But…if she never…you'd still be…"

"I'm aware of that."

'Nelle wanted to say something, but couldn't. It was hard to gauge what he was thinking. Did he really wish he were still in Hayll, or was he just being stubborn like Papa and Uncle Lucivar? She hoped it was the latter.

A subtle movement in the archway caught her eye. 'Nelle flicked a glance that way to see what it was. In the door stood Lilith, rooted to the spot with one hand curled tightly around an iron-wrought trellis support. By the look on her face, she'd heard their conversation. Or at least the last part of it.

Alex must have noticed that she had seen something, and turned in the same direction in time to see Lilith drop her hand to her side. Neither of them said anything. Not in words, anyway. But 'Nelle saw a whole lot in the way they looked at one another. Whatever her friend understood of what Alex had said, it was worse than anything 'Nelle was thinking.

The whole garden was thick with tension as minutes passed with agonizing slowness. She worried that she might have to break it herself. But just as she was about to, something in Lilith's expression shifted. Like a curtain falling over a mirror, all traces of what she was thinking were swept away. 'Nelle resisted the urge to shudder when those eyes fell on her.

"You're wanted in the study, 'Nelle."

Even her voice sounded flat, devoid of emotion.

"Now?"

"That was the idea."

"And what sort of mood is Papa in at the moment?"

"Not a happy one, I expect."

"I guess I'd better go, then."

"I agree."

"Would you-"

"I'll see you at dinner, 'Nelle- if your father is done with you by then, that is," Lilith interrupted her in a sharp tone. She shifted slightly and inclined her chin. "Prince."

Neither of them had time to reply before her friend turned away and melted back into the hallway. 'Nelle stared mutely at the empty space. Beside her, Alex was faring no better. After a minute, he sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. She was probably making a mistake, but 'Nelle ventured a comment.

"If her mood is any indication, I hope my discussion with Papa isn't half as trying as hers must have been."

"I appreciate the attempt, but all humor aside, we both know that had nothing to do with Prince Sadi."

"Yeaaah…probably wasn't the best timing for her to show up. I don't even know how long she was standing there."

"Long enough," Alex replied ominously.

"She won't stay mad forever."

Alex said nothing, and 'Nelle got the feeling her optimism wasn't shared by her brother. She supposed that she shouldn't be surprised. Lilith had been merely short with her, but to him…Mother Night. Anyone else witnessing the exchange would never have guessed that she knew Alex at all. Or ever wanted to know him, for that matter.

All were messages that her brother had heard loud and clear. Not a good start if 'Nelle was hoping they'd all be friends. Much less if she had any ideas Alex and Lilith would be more than friends. What was she going to do?

"You should probably be going," Alex reminded her after a time. "Wouldn't want to keep him waiting."

"Right. Yeah, I should go." She hesitated. "Were you walking back that way with me?"

**3/Kaeleer**

Alex had no intention of leaving the garden for a long while. Certainly no desire to run into Lilith again after what just happened, and he expected she wouldn't be back here any time soon. So he shook his head at 'Nelle.

"No thanks. I didn't get much of a chance to look around and admire this place, so I think I'll stay here if you don't mind."

"Not at all, Alex," she replied with a smile. "I'm glad to hear you like it."

One hand lifted as if to touch his arm in farewell, but 'Nelle caught herself before it did. Alex was relieved and a little disappointed at the same time. Odd. The relief made sense, at least. He had no idea what he might do if a witch touched him- even if it was meant to be harmless.

The disappointment was unfamiliar territory. Alex had only one explanation. It hadn't taken long for him to agree with Lilith's declaration that she and 'Nelle were very similar. During the walk to the garden, and the conversation following, he'd noticed one particular aspect they had in common. 'Nelle wasn't afraid of him, either.

Or so he'd thought. Maybe she'd just been better at hiding it than everyone else. Otherwise why would she have hesitated? 'Nelle didn't strike him as a witch who worried about a little danger. But apparently, he qualified as more than a little dangerous.

Those thoughts were interrupted by the realization that she was studying him thoughtfully, hands at her hips.

"What?"

"It's going to take me a while, but I'll figure you out, brother. For now," she gave him a genuine but altogether unnerving smile, "I have to go annoy Papa."

And then she was gone, leaving Alex utterly baffled. Between 'Nelle and Lilith, he wasn't sure which witch was going to be more difficult to handle. Especially if his sister was going to say things like that. The last thing he needed was a witch digging into things.

_It's better than the alternative_, he thought_. Unless you prefer the soul-killing looks from Lilith._

The one she'd given him a few moments ago was particularly brutal. It reminded him of the day she walked out of his suite in Draega. Meant only one thing as far as he was concerned. In the last few minutes he'd pretty much destroyed any progress they'd made on the trip here.

Worse yet, this time they'd had an audience. 'Nelle had a front-row seat to everything, and Alex was sure that she'd bring it up again later. Last night's demonstration with Daemon Sadi told him that he'd be spilling his guts to her whether he wanted to or not.

Mother Night, what was he doing here?

Alex sank onto the bench and braced on his forearms to stare at the paved walkway. Maybe if he just sat here for a while his situation wouldn't be so bleak. But after counting the individual cobbles in his field of vision six times, he was no more optimistic than before.

That's when he felt a prickling sensation running down the back of his neck. Someone else was in the garden. Alex looked up, hoping it wouldn't be Lilith, and met the cool gaze of Haedyn and Taenne. Okay, this was worse. For a moment, he didn't move or say anything. Just stared back at the big, white cats.

*The Lady is upset* Haedyn rumbled ominously over a spear thread.

He judged his chances of winning a fight against the two Arcerians. Short of blasting them with the Ebon-Black, unlikely. And if Lilith were upset now, there'd be no telling how pissed off she'd be if he destroyed her feline escorts. He could just shield and at least get out of the garden.

But who would he ask for help? Lilith? Oh hell no. With those options out, talking was his only chance.

*You will fix it* Taenne insisted, looking at him expectantly.

"I would if I knew how."

The cats exchanged a look with one another. Taenne padded over to him first, followed by Haedyn. This was it. Six hundred years he'd survived in Meredith's court only to be eviscerated by a pair of cats in his family home. As he waited for them to spring, it dawned on him that they weren't going to. The Arcerians just stared at him quizzically, as if puzzling over his reaction. Then Haedyn spoke.

*We will teach you*

"Say again?"

*You lived in the damaged Territory*

Hayll, Alex realized. Given his experience living there, damaged was an apt way to describe it. But what did that have to do with their offer to teach him?

*Males in the damaged Territory have no proper training* Taenne answered his unspoken question, no trace of condemnation in his tone.

"I have been reading Protocol books," he said in his defense.

*Is good, but need different training- must learn to think like a Kaeleer male*

He had a feeling that this different training would be harder to learn than anything he'd been reading in the Protocol books. The books only told him the rules to live by. Unless Alex missed his guess, Haedyn and Taenne were offering to teach him _why_ the Blood in Kaeleer lived by those rules. Now if only he could figure out why where they offering. If it were Daemon Sadi or Lucivar, he wouldn't think anything strange.

But the Arcerians? Alex couldn't just let that go unexplained. Not if he was considering letting them.

"And you will teach me this? Forgive me, but I am curious to know why."

The tip of Taenne's tail twitched nervously and Haedyn's gaze flicked around the garden. Alex knew that look. He'd seen it before when he'd asked Aster why Lilith had been upset with the horses on the trip to the Keep. She must have given the Arcerians a similar warning, although he couldn't understand why.

At last, Taenne seemed to have an answer he felt safe enough to give.

*Need help with the Lady- need _your_ help*

"My help? You might be better off asking my sister or any of the other SaDiablos to help you with whatever you need. I don't think the Lady likes me all that much."

*Will learn to like you*

That sounded very determined to his ear. Alex wondered if Lilith knew what the cats had in mind, or that they'd come to see him. At first, he might have suspected that she'd been the one to send them. Hearing this, likely not.

"You're welcome to try, I wouldn't hold my breath."

They looked at him a moment, obviously confused.

*Why not breathe?* Haedyn asked finally. *Bad air?*

Alex struggled to keep a straight face. He'd forgotten for a moment that he wasn't talking to another human, and some phrases might not make sense to someone who was Kindred. Lesson learned. Next time he'd be more careful what he said, or he'd be stuck explaining himself again.

"It's a human phrase," he answered. "It means you're more likely to die before you get what you want."

Taenne considered his explanation, and then offered a conclusion of his own.

*You want the Lady to like you*

Startled by the cat's perception, Alex tried not to stammer out an immediate denial. Instead, he tried to redirect that thought along a safer path.

"The Lady is friends with everyone here. If I'm to be friends with them, I should be friends with her, too."

*Many friends here- more than the Lady knows. Not as many special friends* Haedyn emphasized, eyeing him carefully. *Willing to be special friend?*

"Who are the Lady's 'special' friends?"

*Mostly Kindred. Few humans- only one*

"'Nelle," Alex supplied.

*Yes*

"Why so few?"

The garden was silent while the cats debated if they could answer that question. Alex knew almost certainly that they were conferring with one another before saying anything. It made him uneasy. At last, Haedyn turned back to him, very serious.

*Not to tell the Lady- understand?*

Oh he understood very well. Whatever they were about to say was not something they wanted repeated back to Lilith. If he did, Alex wouldn't have to worry that the Arcerians would come after him. No, she'd have his head first. Might as well find out what required so much secrecy and hope he didn't live to regret it.

"Not a word," he promised solemnly.

*Could be more* Haedyn admitted, *but the Lady is too afraid*

"Afraid?"

*Afraid will have _no _friends if she is what she is around them. Will be enemies instead*

A lot of things that were being said and yet not being said in those brief sentences. Despite being Kindred, Haedyn was as adept as any human Warlord Prince at ensuring the listener understood only the surface answer- unless he already knew the hidden ones. And since Alex wasn't sure how private the garden was right now, he chose to ask about the hidden ones on a spear thread instead of aloud.

*You know what she is- what she _really_ is- don't you?*

*She is the Lady* Taenne replied evasively.

So he'd have to be the one to say it.

*She's a Queen who wears the Ebon-Black*

Alex could decide to stop there. Just those two things were more than anyone else in Kaeleer knew about Lilith. He didn't have to go any further. But since the night in the inn, he couldn't stop thinking about what else she might be. If he couldn't bring himself to ask her, he could test out his theory on Haedyn and Taenne. Alex took a deep breath and let it out again.

*But that's not what she's really worried about, is she?*

The cats said nothing.

*She's afraid of how they'll react if they find out she's Witch, isn't she? Like the males of her First Circle long ago reacted when they found out*

A deadly flicker burned like coals in their eyes.

*Secret* Taenne said. *Lady does not talk about it*

*No, the Lady would not*

*You found out another way*

*The nightmares* he admitted. *She had one of them on the journey from Hayll to the Keep*

As quickly as their anger had come, it was gone again. Sadness filled them instead.

*Much worse. Worse than before the Lady left*

Some part of him may have suspected that, but not something Alex wanted confirmed. Yet another thing he'd done to hurt her. Wasn't bad enough what he'd done to her body. No, even worse- he'd added new fuel to old memories she relived in her nightmares. A lasting wrong Alex wasn't sure could ever be made right.

And one he definitely shouldn't mention to the cats if he wanted to stay in one piece.

*How long has she been having those?*

*Always*

*How long ago did it happen? The only answer I got out of her was that it was before the Keep was finished*

He felt surprise across the connection. Haedyn sat up very straight and tilted his head slightly.

*Talked to the Lady about the nightmare?*

*Not exactly. After the worst is over, she starts talking to someone in her sleep- Thaene. If you ask her questions in the Old Tongue, she'll answer you thinking you're him. But my knowledge of it is limited, so there were things I couldn't ask. I was wondering if either of you knew the answers*

*No answers* Haedyn replied. *Would have to ask the Pale One at the Keep*

An image of a person appeared in his mind. Pale skin, dark black hair and red lips.

*Know the Pale One?*

*Geoffrey?*

*Yes, but must be careful. He does not like questions about the Lady- especially _those_ questions*

*I will keep that in mind*

Alex would take his chances. Once things settled down here at the Hall, he was going to take a trip back to the Keep and have a conversation with Geoffrey. If the Guardian didn't like it, that was of little consequence. So long as Alex got the answers he was looking for.

*Never answered question* Taenne pointed out suddenly. *Willing to be special friend of the Lady?*

If his conversation with Lucivar was any indication, some part of him wanted to be more than just a friend- special or otherwise- to Lilith. So unless he found a way to undo that, he didn't really have much of a choice. He could always change his mind later if he ever did untangle himself from that feeling.

At least that could be his choice if 'Nelle or anyone else were asking. But if he said yes right now to the Arcerians, there'd be no going back on it. It was all or nothing with them. Alex answered honestly, knowing it was the only answer he would ever give.

*Yes, I'm willing*

And may the Darkness be merciful if Lilith accepted.

**4/Kaeleer**

Lilith paced her suite, unable to sit still. If she stopped moving, she might break down and cry. And if she did that, she may never stop. Would that she could pretend that she hadn't heard what Alex had said to 'Nelle in the garden. But she couldn't. The words rang in her mind, over and over again.

Oh she'd known all along that he wished he hadn't taken her to bed. No need to rehash all of the ways he'd told her that night, or the morning after. It sufficed to say that the signs were all there. That had been enough on her conscience. But for him to say he'd rather have stayed Meredith's prisoner if it meant he could have avoided that night in Draega…

It was her worst nightmare, and hurt more than anything she could have imagined.

_How can I stay here knowing he feels that way?_

That's exactly what she had to do, though. It was far too early to think about escape. Daemon was far from done asking her questions about Hayll. Hell's fire, they hadn't even gotten to anything she'd expected him to ask her about during their discussion earlier today. And she'd promised 'Nelle that she'd stay for a visit with Charlotte and Adrienne. She'd just have to survive this somehow.

And if she was going to survive, she had to correct the mistake she'd made on the journey to the Keep. In her efforts to educate Alex about Kaeleer and his family, Lilith had allowed her barriers to crack open. She hadn't even realized how relaxed she'd gotten around him on the trip.

It had been too easy to do when it had been just the two of them. So easy to pretend that they weren't any different from any other travelers on the road. As long as they steered clear of any mention of what happened in Draega. Lilith's mistake had been believing it had been anything other than playacting.

_No, it was worse than that_, she admitted to herself. _It's knowing that I wasn't just acting like we could be friends. But Alex was._

Lilith scrubbed her hands across her eyes and tried to clear away the tears that threatened to spill out. She had a few hours before dinner. Just enough time to rebuild her crumbling defenses. When she saw Alex again, she would be prepared to give him the only thing she could now.

Distance.


	31. Chapter 30: Games and their Players

**Author's Note: Once again- apologies for how long it has taken to get this chapter posted. This month I ran into some serious writer's block, but now I'm back. Hope that this chapter is worth the wait.**

**1/Terreille**

Meredith was considerably calmer this morning than she had been the evening previous. Or perhaps she was just too tired to work into a rage this early in the morning, Valinna supposed. It was a rare day when the Queen woke up before noon, much less at dawn. If she'd taken a Warlord to bed last night- which Meredith likely had, despite losing their Rings of Obedience- he was lucky to be excused so quickly. Pity.

As for Valinna, she had been up much earlier in order to prepare for this meeting. She'd had to make some adjustments to her plans, especially after she'd seen in the tangled web last night. Her new plan was going to require all her skills, but Valinna saw it as her best chance for shaping Hayll into the territory it should be. And once she had Hayll under control, she'd make a better job of taking care of the others.

But first, she needed to cast her first line and snare Meredith in her web. Those thoughts cheered her enough that she managed a smile, even though she felt like ripping every perfectly coiffed hair out of the simpering bitch's head. Which of the serving witches had the misfortune of being summoned so early to make sure Meredith looked absolutely perfect?

Vanity was a waste of time in Valinna's opinion. A useless desire to make oneself look attractive. And for what? To arouse a male's interest? That only encouraged the idea that the opinion of a Blood male was worth anything, or that they deserved any thought beyond what was useful for witches. For the most part, sex was far from useful.

Of course, Valinna said none of those things as she watched Meredith sashay across the room like a common trollop in a Red Moon house. Didn't matter that no males were invited to the salon. Hell's fire, every day it seemed the bitch was doing something new to disappoint her.

"I trust you have something worthwhile to show me this morning, Valinna," Meredith began haughtily. "I postponed going forward with my plans, so you'd better prove that delay was warranted."

Valinna gritted her teeth at the insult, but held back from any retort. Instead, she gestured to the seat across from her and called in a tangled web. The Queen made herself comfortable in the chair and drummed her fingers on the velvet armrest.

"This better not take long, either," she complained.

"I assure you that it won't, Lady. The vision in the web was very clear and requires little explanation."

"That would be a first."

"Hourglass Craft rarely gives black and white answers," Valinna replied stiffly. "My apologies if that inconveniences you, but it's the nature of the discipline."

"Oh just get on with it."

With as much dignity as she could, Valinna jabbed her thumb and let several drops of blood fall on a thread of spidersilk. It woke the spell in the web that allowed the vision to be seen by someone who wasn't a Black Widow. Or so she'd always told Meredith when she'd done this before. Only another sister of the Hourglass would know the truth about this web.

Good thing she'd managed to convince the Queen to destroy any witch who showed potential to be a natural Black Widow- except a select chosen few who were trained exclusively by Valinna. Exclusively and very carefully. None of them could tell the difference between an illusion web like this and a vision web, either.

A decision made out of necessity, protecting her when she was at cross purposes with Meredith. Like times before, it served her well in this case. Unaware of the subterfuge, the Queen stared into the image revealed by the web and watched unquestioningly as scene after scene unfolded in front of her.

It was perhaps one of the most elaborate illusions Valinna had ever created. She knew it would have to be if she wanted to sway Meredith. And if she judged her mildly resigned look correctly, it was working. Stubborn or not, she wouldn't gainsay proof this solid when it came to victory over her enemies. After all, winning was the only thing that truly mattered to Meredith.

When the "vision" finished, the Queen raised her gaze to Valinna and resumed tapping her fingertips on the chair. Always that infernal tapping. They stared at one another for several minutes, but she made no move to speak first. That bitch was going to come crawling to her for advice, especially after what she'd said yesterday.

Finally, Meredith gave in.

"I suppose you're expecting me to admit that you were right," she snarled.

Oh she absolutely did, but Valinna knew better than to say so. They didn't have the time to waste on those games.

"We can argue all morning over who was right, or we can plan our next move."

"Very diplomatic."

"You said yourself last night that you were tired of waiting for what you wanted. I'm only thinking of how to avoid more unnecessary delays."

A slight frown shadowed the Queen's mouth as she held back what Valinna knew was a scathing retort.

"How considerate of you, Valinna dear," she drawled in false gratitude while her eyes held daggers.

How neatly she'd backed Meredith into a corner, she thought. All she had to do was hint that time was passing and the bitch would jump to heel. So fortunate that the Queen had given Valinna this weapon herself.

"Think nothing of it," she replied. "Shall I present to you some of my ideas for what information we can say Ettia and her cousin bring back from Dhemlan?"

"As you said- there's no time for pointless delays."

"My thoughts exactly."

Valinna vanished the web and called in a few pages of parchment. She spread them out on the table so that Meredith could read them. The Queen chose the one on the left and perused it silently. She did the same with the others, not making any comment until she'd finished with all of them.

"Interesting."

She refused to be rattled by Meredith's lack of enthusiasm, and pushed forward to explain the value of each different approach.

"They're designed to build on one another, regardless of which one is picked first. It's just a matter of what area to prioritize- the errant Blood males, the coven witches, or the general populace of Draega. Those are the three key areas to motivate properly before you'll have your war against Dhemlan."

"And this will do that, according to you."

"These are just general outlines," Valinna assured her smoothly. "Meant to give you the essence of each phase of the plan. We'll need much more than this when we're actually implementing it."

"Well I should hope so."

Meredith picked up one of the pages again to study it more closely. Valinna watched the Queen's expression carefully and tried to suppress her disappointment when she saw that her protégé couldn't grasp her plan. At least not in its entirety. Meredith understood what had been stated explicitly on the page; but she couldn't see the pattern orchestrating in the background.

_She never has_, Valinna admitted to herself. _Never a thought beyond her immediate wants and needs. No thought to how to get them or what will happen when she does._

"Are you even listening to me, Valinna?"

She refocused her thoughts to the present, where Meredith was once again beating a steady tattoo into the arm of her chair. One of these days Valinna swore she'd put a compulsion spell on her so that she'd stop. Or just break all of her fingers. Either sounded appealing.

"My apologies, but my thoughts turned towards our possible preparations ahead."

"I asked you which of the three approaches you would choose first."

More proof that Meredith had no ability to plan something this elaborate. Even if she didn't choose the best option, she should have at least made a suggestion before asking Valinna's opinion. Maybe shown her some spark of a true leader, rather than a tool ready to follow direction.

_This is what you've got to work with, so use the tool and the next time you'll choose a witch who will be the leader you want._

"Let me think," Valinna pondered.

Rising from her seat, she approached the table and touched the pages lightly. Naturally, she already knew exactly which group she would target first, and had known before coming into the salon. But if she appeared too confident, Meredith would choose one of the others out of spite. After a few moments of thoughtful silence, she offered her opinion.

"In your place, I would suggest starting with the witches of the coven and the district Queens."

"Reasons?"

"Because it's the easiest, for one. It won't take much to convince the more troublesome ones that they either obey or lose- lose more than just control of their piece of Draega."

"It better not take too many demonstrations," Meredith grumbled. "The last thing I need is to go looking for a bunch of replacements to rule the districts."

"I recommend you already have those in mind before starting any of this. Make a gift to the ones we think need the most encouragement- lesser Queens who don't have a district to rule. Stress that the witches are there for training purposes."

"Won't they know it's a ruse?"

"Not right away, but after the first example."

"And this causes no concern?"

"It's part of the plan. The Queens know that they're being watched for any mistake, but can't refuse your gift without making their situation worse."

Meredith was silent for a long while, mulling over what Valinna had said. Thank the Darkness that she'd stopped drumming her fingers in the meantime. Still, the wait for the Queen to catch up with her was irritating, and she was glad that none of the coven sisters were ever present during these meetings. Things would be much worse if any of them realized who was really ruling Hayll.

"Let's say I agree with your first point," Meredith conceded finally. "Did you have any other reasons for starting this way?"

"Indeed. You see, once the coven and the district Queens are in line, the other two groups will be easier to control. They'll be your tools to control the Blood males and the other witches. We've see that already with Lady Jaemie. She's already taken the initiative to keep her district under control with her demonstrations- which have been very effective."

"That she has."

"Imagine her methods practiced across all of Draega and beyond. There won't be anyplace for malcontents to hide- of either gender. And it will hardly cost you a thing out of your own pocket. Maybe a few inspection tours to back their orders with your Court."

**2/Terreille**

_Very promising, Valinna, _Meredith thought wryly.

She hadn't wanted the old crone to be right, but it was hard to argue with a vision in a tangled web. So Meredith supposed Ettia and her idiot cousin would be spared. For now. It was some consolation to know that Valinna's plan did call for their deaths in the end. In the meantime, she'd use her 'demonstrations' with the district Queens to vent her frustrations at the wait.

Plainly, Valinna wasn't finished yammering on about the details of this strategy and that. Meredith's head was swimming from it all. She was a Queen- what did she care about how _this_ message needed to be delivered at _that_ time by _this_ person? When she had pictured herself ruling Terreille, she hadn't pictured spending her time in dusty salons like this nattering on about boring things that didn't matter.

Since their argument last night, Meredith was playing with the idea that it was time to sever her dependence on the Black Widow. She was a symbol of their past, but it was increasingly obvious that the future Meredith had in mind wasn't as in line with Valinna's as she'd thought several months ago.

_Since that damned witch infiltrated my court,_ she reminded herself. _Valinna and I haven't agreed on anything since that little bitch tore the Rings away- and Prince DeSade with them._

An alarming thought struck her suddenly. What if Valinna was behind that little stunt? How else could she explain why the witch had successfully resisted during the interrogation in front of the coven? Not only that, but who would have told her where to find the old Craft texts Meredith kept hidden from the rest of the coven? Help from Valinna was one way to answer both questions.

_Ridiculous,_ Meredith scoffed_. We may not be seeing eye to eye lately, but Valinna wouldn't intentionally sabotage the coven. She most definitely wouldn't have helped set Prince DeSade loose_.

Shadows and paranoia, that's all it was. She was seeing problems where there were none. But the seeds of doubt lingered in her mind, and Meredith wondered just how much she should be trusting that Valinna would act in her best interest when it came to Hayll. Maybe she ought to seek out one of the other Black Widows- quietly- and see if their webs revealed a similar vision as the one she'd just seen.

Finally, Meredith had enough of trying to pay attention to Valinna's chatter, and held up her hand for silence.

"That's more than necessary to discuss right now, I think. We have a few days yet before Ettia and her cousin are due back from Dhemlan, so why don't you see to drafting up the appropriate messages we will want to distribute amongst the coven and the district Queens upon their return."

The Black Widow narrowed her eyes slightly, but kept her hands patiently folded in front of her. Whatever she wanted to say, though, Valinna held back. Instead, she gathered up the parchment pages and vanished them.

"When would you like me to deliver them for your review?"

Meredith didn't really want to waste her time reviewing them. Still, it was good the witch understood that she expected to have the final say about anything to do with this plan. Valinna may have thought of it, but she was merely the tool to get her what she wanted.

"This evening, after the meal. That should give you ample time to prepare."

"Will you want to discuss any comments at that time?"

"We'll see," Meredith replied noncommittally. "It depends on how well they're executed."

Anger flashed in Valinna's eyes. Meredith waited for her to rise to the bait, but the witch held back again.

"Of course," she replied with stiff politeness. When the silence between them had gone on for a minute or so, she spoke again. "If there's nothing else, why don't I start working on it?"

"Oh no, nothing requiring _your_ attention for the morning," she said with a knowing smile. "Please do go on and work your Craft. I have other things to see to."

Not even a rise out of the Black Widow at that, aside from something barely whispered under her breath. If she hadn't been listening for a reaction, Meredith wouldn't even have caught it. Satisfied that she'd won their verbal skirmish, she didn't bother to call Valinna back to explain her remarks. Letting her stew on it all day was enough.

Not long after the Black Widow left, Meredith rose and headed back to her suite. It was far too early to be awake at this hour. At least awake and out of bed. She'd only insisted that this meeting take place so early so that she could annoy Valinna, but the bitch hadn't even batted an eyelash.

Just as Meredith should've known she wouldn't. She forgot that unlike the rest of the coven, Valinna abhorred the finer pleasures of having power and wealth. Things like a bed of silken sheets and a young pretty boy toy to enjoy it with. So she'd never resent losing several hours of playtime to discuss something so positively boring.

Well she sure as hell wasn't going to waste any more time. Last night, she'd selected an especially lovely male to serve as her bed partner. Not so beautiful as Prince DeSade had been, but then no one ever could be. She'd had to punish him somewhat for that, naturally. And for the insolence Valinna had shown her yesterday, too.

By now, he ought to be recovered enough to play for a few more hours. The thought brought a malevolent smile to her lips and a throbbing heat throughout her body. Meredith almost hoped that the young Warlord wouldn't be ready when she got there. It was always more fun to dose them with _safframate _when she could tell them it was their fault.

Halfway to her suite, Meredith spotted a few of the lower circle coven members. They froze, as if hoping she might pass them unnoticed. The weak-minded fools. Her smile turned predatory and she watched them tremble. A few more minutes' delay wouldn't spoil her plans. In fact, it would be a perfect appetizer.

"Ladies, how unusual to see anyone up and about at this hour. To what do I owe the occasion?"

At first, no one wanted to answer, but they were at least smart enough to realize silence could doom them just as easily as the wrong reply. The most senior of the witches stepped forward reluctantly. Meredith couldn't recall the bitch's name, although something struck her as being familiar.

"My Queen, we were on our way to breakfast."

"Instead of sending down for room service? How strange."

"The dining room is better suited for a larger group than our private suites, and the four of us didn't want to dine alone, Lady."

_I bet you're all regretting that thought now_, Meredith mused. _But none of you expected to run into the Queen so early when you made your little plan._

"What a quaint notion," she replied with a hint of condescension. "Something left over from where you grew up, I imagine. Remind me where you're from again, dear. So many young witches pass through my court that you all tend to look alike."

"It's Maeren, Lady. From Lady Jaemie's district."

"And who are your little friends, Lady Maeren?"

"Lady Danella, Kirsten and Chenoa, my Queen."

Now Meredith remembered why they seemed familiar. Before she'd sent Ettia and Bethaeny away, she saw them with these witches from time to time. Not so often that it invited comment, but odd enough to warrant notice. After all, Ettia belonged to one of the higher circles in the coven. Her only reason for associating with this lot would be to see her cousin.

Unless they were involved in some other way.

Perhaps she'd kick off Valinna's plan a little early, and provide some entertainment this evening. Dosing Lady Maeren and Lady Danella with _safframate_ might just cheer her mood. Not to mention, it might provide her with some useful answers about the nagging suspicions she had about Ettia and Bethaeny's loyalty.

That would have to wait until later, when she had the full attention of the coven in residence. She'd make note to speak with the head cook before dinner to ensure that two plates received an extra ingredient before they were served to the table. Meredith loved seeing the look on a witch's face the moment she realized she'd unwittingly dosed herself with _safframate_. Far more entertaining than force-feeding it to them.

But if she wanted to play out her game, she couldn't let on now what she intended. So Meredith affected a bored look and pretended that she could care less who any of them were.

"Well, if you expect me to remember your names, I'd suggest working a little harder at it, ladies. Perhaps you can spare some time at your breakfast get-together to think of a way to distinguish yourselves."

"We'll be sure to," Maeren assured her with a nervous twitch. "And to find a way to be better assets to Hayll."

"I'm sure that won't be too difficult. On your way, then."

"Thank you, Lady."

With that, the four witches scampered away as fast as they could without making it seem obvious. Better assets indeed. Little did the bitches know Meredith had already decided that for them. They'd wish they'd never laid eyes on Ettia or her dimwit cousin by this time tomorrow.

Her mood vastly improved by the anticipation of tonight's demonstration, Meredith breezed through the corridors back to her suite. Not a thing out of place since when she'd left it a few hours ago. Including her hapless Warlord, who was still tethered firmly to the bedposts with leather thongs.

She arched against the doorframe while her eyes roamed over his young, well-built body. How much did he resent that body now, Meredith wondered. After all, it was the reason Lady Jaemie had selected him personally as a gift for her. A show of appreciation, the Queen had said, for helping her regain control of her district.

A Warlord like this one was a fine start towards repaying that debt, even though his Tiger-Eye Jewels hadn't provided much of a challenge. She doubted he'd last very long with the coven once she was done playing with him. But Meredith could easily demand another from Lady Jaemie to take his place.

"So sorry to keep you waiting," she purred in a sultry voice.

The Warlord trembled and said nothing. Meredith glided further into the room, until she stood right next to the luxurious bed. How she loved this room- done up in crimson brocades and black silk to complement the golden brown tones of bared skin. It was a room meant for sex and the pursuit of her chosen prey.

She'd barely stroked his chest with her hand to set him to quivering, muscles taut and straining against the bonds. That is, all but one. Meredith set her mouth in a disappointed pout as she focused on his flaccid cock.

"But it would seem that you haven't missed me while I've been away. You don't seem very enthusiastic about my return," she continued with a pointed look.

Horror and fear filled the Warlord's eyes.

"Well?"

"My Lady," he beseeched her. "I swear that I'm just not used to keeping up with the desires of such an active, beautiful woman."

"Aaah, I see the problem. Maybe some help, then?"

Before he could protest, Meredith slid her hand down over his lower abdomen. With just her fingertips, she brushed over his limp appendage from base to tip and then back, gradually increasing in pressure until he was whimpering. As expected, it didn't stir at all.

"I don't think you're truly trying, Warlord," she warned him sharply.

Tears leaked out of his eyes and dribbled onto the pillowcase.

"I swear to the Darkness that I am, my Lady."

Meredith gripped him more firmly, and wrung from him a tortured sob. Her pout turned into a vicious smile as the Warlord fought the need to beg her to stop. After the games she'd played with him last night, by now he would know those pleas were useless and served only to make things worse. How she did admire his spirit.

It was time to see just how strong that spirit was, and so she called in a bottle of _safframate_. The Warlord's gasp of relief when she released his cock was short lived once he saw her reach for a glass of wine and pour out a dose. He struggled violently- albeit uselessly- against the leathers that bound him to the bed. Meredith ignored his frantic protests and silenced him using Craft.

"My poor boy," she consoled him. "I didn't realize just how much help you needed. Don't you worry, this will ensure that you're hot and ready in no time."

With that, she poured the wine down his throat and forced him to swallow it. The drug pumped through him quickly, and she watched in satisfaction as his shaft grew rigid under her touch. Eager to begin, she slid out of her dress and guided herself atop him.

"Now show me you can be a good boy, Warlord," Meredith whispered in his ear as she sheathed herself on his cock and began to ride.

**3/Terreille**

Maeren didn't breathe easy until after they'd gotten to the storage room near the kitchen. That encounter with Meredith had been entirely too close, and she still wasn't sure they were out of danger yet. So they'd have to be extra vigilant for the next few days…or weeks. There was no telling how long the Queen would wait if she was hoping to catch them off-guard.

Not the best timing for the four of them to have been seen together, and she blamed herself that they'd run into Meredith in the hallway. After she'd gotten the message from Fawne, Maeren should have waited longer to be absolutely sure that she'd returned to her suite. It was her responsibility to protect everyone in their network, and now she may have endangered two of their newest- Kirsten and Chenoa.

_No use dwelling on that mistake_, she admonished herself with an inward sigh. _Might as well find out what Fawne and Kareal have learned over the past two days._

She probed the hallway carefully, and was relieved that no one else from the coven was nearby. The other members of their group were told to stay clear, and the rest wouldn't be up this early. Quickly, she pulled open the store room door and motioned the other three witches inside. Maeren followed them and shut it firmly behind her.

Fortunately, Fawne and Kareal were already waiting in the store room. They must have used the back stairs to get here from the salon. Too bad that wasn't an option for her and the others, since those corridors tended to be more efficient. But if anyone saw them lurking around in the servant hallways, it would raise far too many unwanted questions about what they were up to.

As it was, they were taking an awful risk for so many of them to meet at once. Maeren's instincts told her that more than just she and Danella needed to hear what Fawne and Kareal had to say, though. The junior witches in their group needed firsthand exposure to what was going on behind closed doors with Meredith. She couldn't keep expecting them to accept her second-hand accounts if she hoped to keep them on their side.

"Okay, Fawne, we're all here. What did you see this morning in the salon with Meredith and Valinna?"

The witch's eyes darted to Kirsten and Chenoa before saying anything. Maeren understood her hesitation, as she'd likely never seen either of them before.

"Ladies Kirsten and Chenoa," she said by way of introduction. "Danella and I are trying to get them more involved, so we brought them to hear what you've discovered."

"You picked one hell of a day to start," Fawne mused.

"When is it ever a good day?"

"Never, I suppose," the witch admitted. "Anyway, might as well get started. It's good news and bad, like always. Regarding our worries about Ettia and Bethaeny- Valinna won that argument, and they are to be spared for now. But that's only going to give us a few months at best before Meredith gets her way."

"I'm guessing that's not the bad news," Danella muttered grimly.

"No, it's not, although I wish it were."

"So what is the bad news?"

"If we don't gain some headway before then, their deaths are going to be the least of our worries."

Tension wrapped an icy claw around Maeren's spine and squeezed. She cleared her throat, startling Chenoa.

"And what would be the biggest worry," she dared ask.

"We've got about three months before Hayll goes to war with Dhemlan."

Muttered prayers to the Darkness passed over the lips of several witches, including her own. Maeren hadn't wanted to believe that Meredith would actually go that far- or that the Hayllian Blood would let her do it. How much more could they tolerate out of fear or willful blindness? But Fawne's tone was serious, and Maeren knew better than to scoff at the idea. Others weren't quite so convinced.

"It's not possible," Danella protested. "She'd need an army to do that, and Hayll hasn't had an army since before the Purge."

"There will be an army," Kareal assured her. "That's what she's going to build over the next three months or so."

"Rather, what Valinna is going to build," Fawne corrected.

"How do you mean?" Chenoa asked, obviously puzzled. "I don't see the difference."

Which was exactly why Maeren had wanted to bring her and Kirsten to the meeting. For all their supposed social status by being coven members, they were far from adept at picking up subtle cues in a conversation. Fawne had shown time and time again that the servant witches used that skill effortlessly.

_A truth I'd never have known myself if not for Bethaeny._

In all honesty, Maeren thought the wrong cousin was leading their cause. Ettia had her strengths, but in the month before she and Bethaeny were sent to Dhemlan, the witch's flaws and blind spots had become increasingly hard to ignore. She would likely deny it, but the witch was hung up on social standing as much as Meredith or any of the others they were up against. And an attitude like that was going to cripple- or destroy- them in the end.

That was something to bring up with Bethaeny when they got back. Right now, Maeren kept her focus on the task at hand. Unlike Chenoa, she knew exactly the kind of distinction Fawne was making about Meredith and Valinna. Didn't mean that she _liked_ hearing it, or that she would like anything else Fawne was about to say in her explanation.

"Between Kareal and me, we've spent a lot of time over the past months listening to the private discussions between Meredith and Valinna. At first, it wasn't obvious what was going on, but the last few days have shown a dramatic change in their dynamic. We're sure enough of it now to bring it to your attention."

"And that is?"

"Ladies, Meredith isn't ruling anything in Hayll. It's all orchestrated by Valinna."

After a minute of awkward silence, Kirsten was the first to speak up. She glanced at Maeren before saying anything, but there was hardly a point in stopping her. Might as well say what needs to be said.

"You must be mistaken. Valinna has always been Meredith's bitch to command, waiting for the Queen's beck and call before taking action."

"I'm just telling you what we've seen. And in their private meetings, Valinna is presenting the ideas to Meredith, not the other way around."

"But Meredith still makes the decisions and plans out how to best use Valinna's ideas."

The witch shook her head slowly.

"That's not what I saw this morning. Hell's fire, Meredith can barely follow the Black Widow's ideas; much less give meaningful direction how to use them."

Kirsten was about to protest again, but Fawne wasn't finished.

"Valinna had to spell out every detail about their upcoming plans for Hayll, and even that proved too much for Meredith to handle. The Black Widow had barely sketched her tactical planning for the first strike when Meredith called off their meeting."

On some level, Maeren had always known Valinna was the true power in Hayll, even if she'd never let herself admit it. She could examine all of the excuses she'd made for ignoring it, but in truth, it was quite simple. She didn't want to admit that she'd been taken in by the ruse like everyone else in those early years when Meredith had risen to power.

And that revelation brought along some others what were equally unpleasant. If the Blood had surrendered Hayll to a witch just because they feared her dark Jewels and caste, what did that say about themselves? Certainly not that they were very smart on the whole. And possibly more worrisome- how much _more_ dangerous was a witch like Valinna? Far more dangerous than Meredith.

She was pulled out of those thoughts by Chenoa.

"So she's a moron, basically."

"I wouldn't go that far," Kareal hedged. "The Queen may not be the mastermind behind Hayll, but she's by no means stupid."

"I got the impression this morning that it's not so much that she _can't_ figure things out for herself, but rather that she doesn't want to," Fawne added.

"I agree," Maeren spoke up. "When it's something she wants, Meredith is very capable of devising a way to get it with or without Valinna's help."

_Especially if it involves pain or torturing someone_, she added silently.

She remembered all too well the time she'd been starved for three days over a steak. Valinna had nothing to do with that in the slightest. It made sense. Maeren suspected the Black Widow wasn't against torture, but used it only if more subtle methods had failed first. And even then, she let Meredith be the one to order it.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Kirsten acknowledged.

One potential disaster averted. Now Maeren could move onto what she really wanted to hear. They didn't have too much more time before they'd have to adjourn for the morning, so it was best if she got Fawne to get on with the details of Valinna's plan.

"You mentioned that Valinna was able to provide some details of her plan to the Queen before she was dismissed, Fawne. If we're going to have any time to prepare, we're going to need as much information as you have on it."

"Of course," Fawne replied and took a breath to begin. "So here's what she has in mind…"

For the next fifteen minutes, the witch recounted everything she'd heard in the meeting, starting with the broad ideas first, and moving into the details. Maeren was glad to see Danella paying close attention. Before Ettia and Bethaeny had left, the witch had been acting too much like their official leader- snubbing any ideas that witches like Fawne and Kareal were more than useful tools to a specific end.

But Maeren had been gradually working with her, and Danella's attitude had improved. She just hoped that the change would survive Ettia's return, and the witch wouldn't fall back into her old opinions. At least until that time, she could keep them as united as possible. After all, she'd promised Bethaeny she'd try to integrate the two halves of their group as best as she could.

That effort might be all for nothing, however. The more of Valinna's plan Fawne revealed, the more Maeren worried how successful their plans would be- even if they got Ettia and Bethaeny back. The Black Widow's tactics were terrifyingly clever, and none of them truly had enough experience to counter them.

If she were honest, the best they'd done so far was defensive action. But reacting to the information the staff passed on wasn't really doing anything to thwart them, was it? Ettia had talked big about overthrowing Meredith and Valinna, but very little of their operation included offensive action. To get anywhere against this new design of Valinna's, that would have to change. Quickly.

She wondered if Kirsten or Chenoa realized how bad their situation was right now. Danella did, judging by her expression.

*We're in trouble, aren't we?*

"More than we thought* Maeren sent back.

*I'm not sure if we have enough support left in the coven to keep going*

*If we're lucky, Meredith and Valinna will focus on the district Queens and we can work on the coven*

*To what end? Even if we won over everyone in the coven, how is that going to stop what they're planning and the coming war with Dhemlan?*

It wouldn't do much of anything, and Maeren knew that. She had hoped that she'd have until Ettia and Bethaeny returned before anyone else would start to realize it. There was a way she thought they could spread their influence, but she didn't want to bring it up until everyone was present. Danella was expecting her to say something, though, and Maeren hoped she wasn't making a mistake with a half-hearted answer.

*We'll find a way to make a difference*

*You don't sound as sure as you did a few months ago. Or even when Ettia left* She paused. *Are we giving up?*

*Not yet. Let's see what happens when Bethaeny and Ettia return*

"Thank you, Fawne, for your thorough report. I think we've all been gone from our regular tasks long enough for this morning, though."

Everyone nodded.

"Who should we send for tonight's meeting?"

"Is there a problem with either of you doing it?"

"I think it'd be best if it were one of the others," Kareal suggested cautiously. "It's going to be suspicious if either of them do notice that only the two of us clean the room when they're around."

"Is there anyone you can trust?"

"Arren has proven capable in the past few weeks. She's been practicing on some of the other coven members in Meredith's higher circles, so she won't freeze up or give herself away easily."

"If she's ready and you think she'll be able to provide us with enough information, then by all means send her."

"We'll work with her this afternoon, and if she's ready, Arren will be our eyes in that meeting. If not, either Kareal or I will go," Fawne agreed.

"Good plan," she said with a short nod. Then she turned to the others. "Danella, you need to keep an eye on what Valinna is up to before dinner. Find some excuse to shadow her, and if you need help, let me know."

"What about us?" Chenoa asked.

"You two will be with the rest of the coven. Try to keep an eye on the witches who support Meredith, and scout for any who might be swayed to our side."

"I doubt we'll find any takers, but we can try."

"That's all I'm asking for at the point. Everyone clear on our plan for the day?"

No one had any questions, and so Kareal and Fawne slipped out of the store room first. When Maeren was sure they'd gotten far enough away, she led the others quietly away. Before they could disappear to their assignments, she reminded them that they had a breakfast appointment in the dining room. She couldn't take the chance that Meredith would find out if they didn't go. Or worse, that Valinna would.


	32. Chapter 31: A Cold Fire Burning

**1/Kaeleer**

Lucivar strode into the training room and surveyed the group assembled for practice. He wasn't sure if he should be glad or not that both Lilith and Alex had come as directed. Yesterday, he'd convinced Daemon to put a Red lock on the door in the great hall, so he'd gone to check on things in Ebon Rih. At the time, he'd been prepared to deal with _some_ tension between them on account of the whole attraction thing.

What he saw this morning was far worse than tension. The undercurrents in the room were ugly enough that instinct nearly convinced him to snap up an Ebon-gray shield. He'd see if not following that instinct would be a mistake he'd regret later. It was enough to get his attention, though. So he signaled to Daemonar, Titian and Andulvar to hold back until he'd assessed the situation before him.

Lucivar studied the trio waiting for him- Jaenelle Saetien, Lilith and Alex. Of the three, only the waif wore any expression that gave him a clue what had gone on while he was away. As for the boyo, Lucivar knew that expressionless mask well enough to be wary. It reminded him of Daemon's, revealing nothing to anyone who hadn't seen what the Sadist had done while wearing it.

But Lucivar had tangled with the Sadist before, so he had some plan how to deal with Alex. It was Lilith's expression that made him uneasy. More than uneasy, actually. He'd never seen someone look that…Mother Night, there wasn't even a word for how she looked. It was emotionless- cold, yet full of a terrible intangible something.

And there stood his niece between them, looking agitated and guilty. Lucivar cast his luck that she might know what was going on with the other two.

*Witch-child, what's going on here?* he sent on a private thread.

*Going on? Nothing. Nothing at all*

*Try again, waif, and make it quick*

*But…*

He just looked at her. Didn't say a word- just looked at her. No witch had ever won against it, and Lucivar saw the moment Jaenelle caved.

*I don't know what happened* she admitted finally.

*You must know something*

*I'll tell you what I saw* She paused. *So, you know how you had me keep Alex busy yesterday?*

_Uh oh_. He said nothing and let her continue.

*Well, we were talking and he sorta might have said that maybe Lilith shouldn't have been in Hayll to rescue him from Meredith's court. I think he was just being snarly because he thinks it's too dangerous…*

Now Lucivar did try to say something. Tried, but Jaenelle just kept going.

*Only problem is Lilith happened to _overhear_ it and I dunno what she _thought_ he meant- she wouldn't tell me when I asked her- but whatever she thinks, it's pretty bad, and she hasn't said a single word to anyone about it- or about anything else for that matter- since yesterday afternoon*

Having asked for an explanation, he supposed he deserved the headache building behind his eyes. How was anyone supposed to follow _any_ of that? But years of listening to Titian and Jaenelle give similar whirlwind explanations had taught him how to tease out the vital pieces of information. A skill Lucivar was grateful to have right now.

*What did your brother say he meant?*

*He didn't*

*I know you, waif, so didn't you ask him?*

*It's the same as Lilith- he won't say*

This had catastrophe written all over it. Only one thing Lucivar could do; Pretend to ignore the problem and push them until one or the other cracked. Given Alex wore the Ebon-Black, he hoped it would be Lilith. He glanced at her once more. Then again, maybe not.

Might as well get started. Lucivar gave a whistle to Titian and the boyos. They joined him in the training room, but made no move towards the trio opposite them. Not even Titian seemed willing to cross that line, which had to be a first.

At least he'd already prepared them for what they'd see regarding their cousin. Prepared them the best he could have, anyway. So he only caught a couple of sidelong glances at Alex as they judged how closely he resembled their Uncle Daemon. Even so, no one said anything for a few minutes. And then Alex turned to Jaenelle.

"My cousins, I'm guessing?" he queried with a nod in their direction.

"Yep. Uncle Lucivar must have dragged them all the way here from Ebon Rih just to spar with us this morning."

"Lucky us," his nephew replied drily. "I must admit this family's approach to first introductions is unusual."

"Hmmm, I dunno about that," Jaenelle mused. "Hey, Titian, wouldn't you say most Eyriens meet in sparring matches?"

"Pretty common, actually, in Ebon Rih."

"See? Nothing unusual at all."

Oh Mother Night. Not even two days in Kaeleer and the waif was already giving Alex the same nerve-grinding attention she gave the other boyos. But surprisingly, his nephew was more bemused by it than anything. Lucivar bet that wouldn't last long. Best if he intervened, before she provoked him any further.

"Waif, save that sass for practice. You and Titian can spar with Lilith while we work with your brother."

"I wasn't sassing anyone!"

"Yes you were. Now go practice."

His daughter cast a wary look at the two witches- Lilith in particular- before her eyes slanted to him.

*Papa, are you sure sparring is a good idea this morning? Lilith looks…well I've never seen her look like _that_*

*Keep it slow until we're all warmed up* he ordered. *If this strange mood is still riding her after that, I'll have one of your brothers spar with her*

Or if worse came to worse, he'd get in the circle with her himself.

*Okay, but I don't think they're going to be any more enthusiastic about sparring with her than I am right now*

With that said, she broke their communication thread and headed over to Jaenelle. On the way, she passed Alex as he approached. The boyo looked like hell and Lucivar guessed that he hadn't gotten much sleep last night. The argument with Lilith likely had something to do with that.

Sleep or no sleep- didn't mean he was going to go any easier on Alex.

"So I guess now's when I find out if Lilith was exaggerating about Eyrien practice drills."

For the first time since he'd walked into the room, Lucivar found himself smiling. He called in several practice sticks and handed one to Alex.

"Exaggerating? I highly doubt it, Boyo."

**2/Kaeleer**

This was not exactly the reunion Titian had been expecting when Papa told her Lilith had come back to Kaeleer. Sure, she'd been shocked when she heard what her friend had been up to- and where. Well, maybe not so shocked about the where. 'Nelle had hinted at it last month, even if she wouldn't say it out loud.

But Titian never would have guessed in a million years that her cousin hadn't died, or that he'd been in Hayll this whole time. How in the name of Hell had Lilith known where to find him? It was all just too much to believe. She had to, though, after seeing Alex beside 'Nelle, looking every bit the younger double of her uncle.

She would have thought reuniting the family would have produced a much…happier…mood. Granted, Papa hadn't told them all of the details last night about what happened, but shouldn't they be relieved to have him back in Kaeleer where he belonged? Titian saw neither of those things in 'Nelle's face- and definitely not in Lilith's.

And it wasn't just her being snarly about early morning drills. No, this was different. Worse than that, really. Maybe she'd find out more about that after warm up, but right now, she called in the practice sticks. 'Nelle groaned at the sight of them.

"Didn't I suffer enough when I was in Askavi?" her cousin lamented.

"According to Papa, no."

"Easy warm up, right? It's been a long while since Lilith has been through the drills."

"Now cousin, you should know better than anyone the answer to that question."

Grumbling, 'Nelle took a practice stick and shed all but her workout clothes. Lilith did the same, but without the grumbling. Her friend hadn't said a single word to anyone since they'd come in. Titian really wanted to say hello to her, but instinct cautioned against it. Instead, she took lead position and began the first set of solo warm up drills.

After the first set was finished, Titian glanced back at the other two to see how they were doing. For someone who hadn't been practicing for several months, Lilith seemed to be keeping up just fine. And since it didn't look like Papa was through with teaching her cousin the basics, Titian began the next set. If they weren't done by then, she would have to switch to the partner exercises.

_I sure hope it doesn't come to that_.

To her dismay, it did. Titian gritted her teeth and stepped onto what she knew would be a battlefield.

"With just the three of us right now, how do you want to pair up first?"

'Nelle looked at Lilith and chewed her lower lip.

"Well, I suppose you and I could go first," she suggested. "That is, if Lilith could use a break…"

"I'm fine," the other witch interrupted. "And if I'm here, I might as well make the most of it."

Something was very wrong. The words sounded like what Lilith would say, but the tone was alien. It carried none of the usual lilt or cadence that Titian was used to hearing. Just...empty. It made her uneasy, so she sent a message on a private thread to her cousin.

*What is going on with her? That _is_ Lilith, right? Not some fancy Shadow you're testing out on everyone*

*No, it's really her*

*What happened? She's all…* Titian paused, trying to think of words to describe it. *It's like the only thing left of her is the physical shell*

*Later, Titian. I can't talk about any of this now*

At least that was something. But her cousin had a lot of explaining to do whenever 'later' finally happened. Especially if anything went awry this morning. The Lilith looking at Titian right now didn't look like her friend. Didn't look like anyone's friend, for that matter.

"All right. Basic shields okay by you?"

"That will be fine."

"'Nelle, you keep time during the warm up and call it when we're close."

"Will do."

The exercise began. Titian started out easy, testing Lilith's reactions with light contact moves and strikes. But by the time they were five minutes into the warm up, she realized that she was no longer controlling the pace. It was all she could do to keep up with Lilith. They twisted, blocked, parried and danced their way through the steps of the exercise. The whole time, Titian never saw a flicker of expression in the other witch's eyes. Just that queer nothingness.

Thinking about it distracted her one half-second too long, and Lilith moved inside her guard with deadly aim. In that moment, Titian wondered if her basic shield would protect her from the blow- if Lilith would care if it didn't.

The strike never landed.

A full minute may have passed before Titian realized she and Lilith were locked in the final move of the exercise. Lilith's practice stick was a hairsbreadth away from her side. The workout had been intense, and Titian was still trying to catch her breath. But Lilith stood unmoving, hardly winded at all from the exertion. Just that stare.

That's when she realized how quiet the rest of the room had gotten. When she was able to break away from Lilith's gaze, she looked for Papa and her brothers. They were all riveted on her and Lilith. How long had they been watching, Titian had to wonder.

*Witchling, are you all right?*

*Unnerved* she sent back, somewhat shakily. *And a little bit of my pride might be bruised. But other than that, I'm fine*

*Are you sure?*

*Yes, Papa* Titian assured him with a much firmer tone.

That seemed to convince him, and he walked away from the boyos to the center of the room. She knew what was coming next, and so did just about everyone else. Only her newfound cousin seemed in the dark. Oh well, he'd find out soon enough.

"Witchling," her Papa called out. There was no mistaking who he meant. Lilith backed away from Titian and stared at him mutely.

"That's enough warm up. You'll be sparring with me this morning."

She gave him a perfunctory nod and joined him in the middle of the room. Meanwhile, the rest of them took positions around the invisible circle to watch. Titian sided up to 'Nelle, while her brothers stayed close to Alex. Daemonar and Andulvar were mildly interested by the possibility of this sparring lesson with Lilith, but neither of them was overly worried. Her cousin was a whole different story. He looked like he might haul Lilith out of the room the second Papa landed his first strike.

_Very interesting. I wonder if that's part of what 'Nelle's going to explain to me later._

No time to think about that, though. The sparring match was about to begin, and something told her that she didn't want to miss any of it.

**3/Kaeleer**

Alex wasn't sure what he was about to see, but right now he considered Lucivar a brave man if he was willing to face Lilith in the mood she was in. Even if the only weapon in her hand was a stick. He'd just seen what she was capable of when she was 'warming up' with Titan, and hadn't been prepared for even that much. When she said she'd trained with the Eyriens, Alex assumed she meant learning the basics.

_But you should have known better,_ he admitted. _If you'd remembered what she was doing when you first saw her with Grael._

Oh yes, he should have remembered the fight with Grael. Even drugged with _safframate_, Lilith had proven herself very skilled at hand to hand combat. And now that she was clear-headed, those skills were only that much more apparent.

Not to mention deadly.

Lilith could have killed Titian with that final move- even with a just a stick. The control needed to stop that close without finishing the blow was almost more impressive than knowing she could have made it. Lilith must have trained with the Eyriens for years to hone that kind of skill.

Which did not help his ego about his own skills. If he'd had any illusions that he could pick up enough of the basics to work with her this morning, they were gone now. Even though Lucivar had said he learned fast while they were teaching him, he was definitely not fast enough to keep up with her. Oh hell no.

Of course, when Alex had seen Lilith's face as she walked into the training room this morning, he had immediately abandoned any idea that he'd be practicing with her. Or talking to her. Or even getting within five feet of her. He'd thought the look she had given him yesterday afternoon was ominous. Little did he know that it could get worse.

_With Lilith, it can _always_ get worse._

"How long do you think it'll take him to wear her out, Daemonar?"

The Eyrien on his right crossed his arms and shrugged at Andulvar, who had asked the question.

"Ten minutes, or even fifteen."

"You think she's got a chance at besting father today?"

"I dunno. Maybe."

"I've got ten marks that says she does."

"What do you think, cousin," Daemonar asked with a sidelong glance at Alex. "Do you think Lilith will be able to out-maneuver an Eyrien Warrior?"

From what Alex had understood since leaving Draega, Lucivar wasn't your average Eyrien Warrior. He was one of the greatest who ever lived. Could any witch be expected to take him on and win? Alex had his doubts, and answered Daemonar's question with one of his own.

"Why'd he decide to let her try?"

"That partner warm-up with Titian was a little too intense- even for Lilith. Father's going to push her with a sparring match to find out what's behind it."

And that could be any number of unpleasant things she might say about him. If Alex was lucky, Lilith would stick to the mishap from yesterday afternoon. But if Lucivar pushed her really hard, who knows what she might say. He was not liking this at all.

"Does it really work?"

"Most times- not always, though," Andulvar replied in a low voice.

"Just watch, cousin, and you'll see. They're about to begin."

Reluctantly, Alex turned his attention back to the pair squaring off in the middle of the room. And then as if on cue, they lunged at one another in a series of lightning fast moves. Even before they'd completed the first parry, he felt himself rise to the killing edge. Unprepared for that reaction, Alex fought to maintain control. If it slipped out of his grasp, there'd be no telling what he'd unleash in this room.

_Lucivar's not deliberately trying to hurt Lilith- it's just an exercise._

He repeated that to himself over and over again in those first few minutes, when instinct was telling him to bring all his rage down on the man. It was difficult not to follow that instinct. Although Daemonar might have called this a sparring match, from his perspective, it was violence raised to an art form. A beautiful, deadly dance- where a misstep could be disastrous.

As the minutes passed, Lucivar increased his speed and the intricacy of the moves. Lilith showed no sign of giving in. She looked determined, but aside from that, not even the tiniest crack in that expressionless gaze. Whatever the Eyrien had hoped to pry loose wasn't going as planned.

Eventually, their sticks met and held. Lilith and Lucivar were only inches apart, staring one another in the eye. The Eyrien backed away first, and rested the point of his weapon on the ground. Both of them said nothing for a half minute, breathing heavily from the workout. Lucivar spoke first.

"All right, witchling, that's time enough. We'll call it a draw."

"Sounds fair."

He studied her somewhat warily.

"Good to see that you haven't gotten out of practice in the three months you were in Hayll."

"It's not hard to find opportunities to practice."

Alex had to bite his tongue not to point out just what kind of opportunities crossed her path in Hayll. Instead, he merely waited to see what Lucivar would do next.

"I think you've had enough practice for this morning, witchling. Just make sure you take a long walk back to your suite before heading to breakfast."

Lilith nodded, turning on her heel towards 'Nelle and Titian. On her way out, she handed her stick to his sister without even slowing her pace. And then she was gone.

Alex waited a minute or two before he let out the breath he'd been holding. Apparently, he wasn't the only one. No sooner had he done so, everyone else in the room seemed to come to life. They all gravitated towards the middle, where Lucivar and Lilith had been sparring. Before Alex could say anything, Daemonar spoke up.

"You probably could have had her beaten in another five minutes. Why'd you give up?"

"Another five minutes and she may have beaten me, Boyo. And in the mood she was in, that was not a chance I wanted to take."

The younger Eyriens exchanged glances.

"Yeaaah…we noticed she was a little scarier than usual today," Andulvar said.

"A lot scarier," Daemonar added. "What's the deal with that, anyway?"

Lucivar turned towards Alex, which prompted the rest of them to do the same. Not a good sign.

"My understanding of it is your cousin and the Lady had a difference of opinion. As you can see, her mood has not improved since."

"Difference of opinion? Over what?"

All eyes were on him again, and Alex resisted the urge to shift uncomfortably on his feet. Especially at the look Lucivar was giving him. And the slightly apologetic and somewhat guilty look from 'Nelle. Mother Night, what did she tell him?

"That's what I'd like to know, too," Lucivar replied with a grim nod. "Because nobody seems to know what the disagreement was about."

They were all silent, waiting for him to answer. Alex really didn't have one. Because she wasn't this upset over him saying Hayll was too dangerous for her. She'd heard that before, and would have had some sharp retort like the last time he'd said it. Her reaction this time was much different, over something very different.

_I wish she _would_ just argue it out with me._

The strangeness of that thought hit him a second later. Never in his life would he have imagined a time when he'd find arguing with a witch preferable to avoiding one. No time to ponder on that just now, since Lucivar was waiting. Hell's fire, they were _all _waiting.

So what did he say? Better to stick with what he didn't know instead of making any suggestions.

"If you think I know the answer, you're mistaken. Lilith hasn't offered to enlighten me as to why she's so upset this time. Last time I said Hayll was no place for witches like her, she just snarled and froze me out for an afternoon."

"That'd be more typical for her," Titian agreed.

"Well, I suggest someone-" he looked directly at 'Nelle, and then Alex, as he spoke "-sort it out with her, and fast. Somebody's gonna get seriously hurt if we don't know just how angry she is under all that controlled calm."

"What do you expect me to do about it," 'Nelle bemoaned. "I spent several hours yesterday trying to weasel it out of her, and all it earned me was a door slammed in my face."

"Today's a new day, waif, so try again. Whatever it takes."

His sister said nothing- aloud anyway. From the look on her face, she was inwardly cursing. Alex couldn't blame her, since he was thinking much the same thing. He was pretty sure that order from Lucivar included him as well. And even if it didn't, Haedyn and Taenne had already ordered him to 'fix' what was bothering Lilith.

With that subject covered, the Eyrien's mind shifted back to their training. If Alex had hoped the sparring match with Lilith would be the end of that, he was sorely mistaken. Lucivar ordered everyone off in pairs to work for a while. By the time they'd practiced enough to suit him, Alex ached in nearly every muscle he ever knew he had.

Andulvar must have noticed his stiff shuffle as they left the room, and gave him a knowing smile.

_Yeah, of course you'd be smiling_, Alex thought darkly. _That last set of moves you had me work through were not 'easy' like you'd promised._

"It'll get easier," the Eyrien assured him. "After the first few months, you won't feel a thing."

Months. Mother Night, Alex did not want to envision that future at all.

"I'll believe that as much as I believe you were telling the truth when you said 'easy' before."

The smile widened.

"Father's right- you do learn quick. It took 'Nelle a lot longer to come to that conclusion when we started training her."

She must have heard that remark, and caught up with the two of them.

"That's because when you said it to me, you were much more convincing."

"Face it, cousin, your brother is just smarter than you are."

She flashed them both a furious look, even though Alex didn't feel it was deserved on his end. He couldn't help what Andulvar would say about him.

"You take that back!" she said with a light punch to the Eyrien's shoulder.

"Nuthin' doin'."

"You'll take it back or I'll tell Joach and Kalia you're here to take them for walkies today. _All day_."

That threat had the desired effect, and Andulvar frowned. It didn't take him long to cave.

"All right, fine. I take it back."

Satisfied, 'Nelle breezed past them and disappeared down the corridor. Hopefully in search of Lilith.

"If she hasn't already started acting that bossy with you, feel very lucky."

"No such luck."

"I suspected as much," the Eyrien said with a shrug. "But if anyone had a shot at it, you did."

"Why?"

Andulvar gave him a sideways look, which Alex understood perfectly well.

"Well, you've got a few advantages the rest of us don't. The best being that your Jewels outrank Twilight's Dawn."

And didn't seem to frighten Andulvar as much as Alex would have guessed. Overall, the reaction from everyone in Kaeleer had been wary. Definitely wary.

They had every reason to be. What had shaped him in Draega hadn't vanished just because he'd left the city. The memory of what he'd nearly done with the two servant witches reminded him that he was always one false move away from becoming that monster again. Unstoppable for everyone, except possibly Lilith.

_Does that possibility occur to them? _He couldn't believe it didn't._ Maybe they see it the same way she does._

"Would seem Lilith's taught her not to care about any of that," Daemonar offered. "Day one, that witch hasn't given a damn that we all out-rank her. No surprise if a little of that rubbed off on 'Nelle."

Alex held back his comments on the subject with difficulty. But he managed to avoid giving away Lilith's secret about her true Jewels. Oh did he want to be around the day everyone found out what they really were, though. It was bound to be entertaining to watch.

They arrived in the dining room soon after that, and Alex was grateful that breakfast was already laid out. A session like that worked up quite the appetite. He chose a seat near the middle of the table, wondering if Daemon Sadi and Surreal would be joining them this early. It was seven-thirty at the latest.

Sure enough, they arrived through one of the other doors. Lilith and 'Nelle were right behind them. The mood of the former didn't seem to have changed since she left the training room. This should be fun.

**4/Kaeleer**

Everyone was seated and serving themselves from the spread Mrs. Beale had provided. Daemon used the opportunity to take stock of the Lilith situation. One quick look told him it was no better than dinner last night.

*So Prick- how did training go? Doesn't seem like Lilith has worked off whatever mood was riding her yesterday*

*I could kick your ass, old son, for not warning me about the witchling*

*Was it really that bad?*

*Daemon, I don't know _what_ it is, but there's a lot of rage inside that witch. Rage and something else I don't know how to begin describing*

Damn. It was worse than he thought.

*Jaenelle Saetien told me it was nothing more than a misunderstanding in her garden yesterday*

*Yeah, she told me the same thing. Must have been one hell of a misunderstanding if you ask me*

*You didn't let her spar with Alex, did you?*

*Shit no. Lilith nearly took a piece out of Titian during a warm-up exercise. There was no way I let anyone else partner her after that*

*So you sparred with her*

*Thought I could push her enough to get some answers*

Daemon paused before replying. Obviously, Lucivar had come out of it just fine, but something in the tone bespoke uneasiness.

*What happened, Prick?*

*Lilith pushed back. Damn near beat me- would have if I hadn't called it a draw when I did*

*Has she ever been that close?*

*No*

*Be careful, Prick, even if she wears Sapphire*

With that warning, Daemon severed the link and turned his attention back to everyone else. Conversation was minimal, and even Jaenelle seemed unusually quiet. He suspected most of that had to do with Lilith's silence, broken only by rare, tersely spoken phrases. If he didn't have unanswered questions for Lilith about Hayll still, Daemon debated lifting the Black shield to let her go.

_That, and knowing that she'd find a way to sneak back to Terreille the moment anyone's back is turned._

Suddenly, Jaenelle perked up and leaned across the table to look at him.

"Oh, Papa, I almost forgot to mention it," she began brightly.

He tried not to wince. "Yes, witch-child?"

"Charlotte will be visiting for a little while. She'll be here this evening."

"I see."

Jaenelle spooned a heap of scrambled eggs onto her plate and mumbled something else. Daemon knew he shouldn't ask, but did anyway.

"What was that?"

"I said that Adrienne might also be coming for a visit."

"When might that be?"

"This evening," she replied innocently.

Mother Night and may the Darkness be merciful. Not all four of them together here in the Hall. Just the thought of it nearly sent Daemon into a panic. Jaenelle and Lilith were a handful. But pairing them with Charlotte and Adrienne…Mother Night.

*Courage, old son* Lucivar sent to him on a spear thread. *How bad can it be?*

*Easy for you to say, since you can escape to Ebon Rih*

*Don't worry. I'll be back to keep them in line in the mornings*

While helpful, Daemon doubted even Lucivar's drilling would wear the witches out enough to prevent the upheaval he knew was coming. And then his darling witch child sank his last hope.

"Heather said she was coming, too. Oh, and the boyos. Almost forgot about them."

Was the room tilting? He wasn't sure, but he felt a little light headed. Several minutes of silence passed as he tried to get his brain working again. All the while, Jaenelle Saetien just beamed at him. No doubt loving to see him thrown off stride so completely. Why else would she spring all this on him without warning?

As Daemon glanced at Lilith, he considered one other reason. Maybe Jaenelle was hoping all the added company would thaw the witch's mood and provide a buffer zone between her and Alex. If the plan succeeded, it might be worth the headaches. _Might_.

"They're all coming here?" he managed to ask.

"Yes, Papa."

"For how long?"

She shrugged. "No one mentioned any particular plans. As long as there's a reason to visit, I imagine."

Meaning until Lilith left. Daemon understood the game now. No doubt their impending guests were all looking forward to the visit for its own sake, but Jaenelle was using it as a way to drive him crazy enough that he might relent and let Lilith go. They'd see who'd win this battle.

*I hope you know what you're doing, witch-child*

*Both of them need the social practice and it's the only way I can think of to distract Lilith enough to put things right*

*And you still don't know more about what went wrong?*

*Unfortunately not*

He wondered if he should even ask the next question. Even if his daughter knew the answer, she may not give it to him in a straight way. Worse yet, she may not know. But a suspicion kept nagging at him, so Daemon asked anyway.

*Should we be worried that she might be dangerous?*

Hesitation hummed across the connection before she came to a decision, albeit a reluctant one.

*Yes*

Nothing more than that. To Daemon, that told him more than enough about the situation. He didn't need to ask if Jaenelle extended the danger to the family. And if Lilith could be dangerous to them, it only added another piece to the puzzle he'd been putting together since she arrived two days ago. Each one tugged at a memory he couldn't quite place. It was damned frustrating.

Daemon resolved to slip out of the Hall tomorrow to visit Tersa and see if she would help with that. For now, he just filed all that away.

*Then I sure hope your plan works*

*So do I*

And what of Alex? Daemon wondered what he thought of their unexpected guests. He knew enough to distrust the impassive expression. After all, it was an exact copy of the one he used. But recognizing a look was not the same as knowing what lay beneath it. For now, whatever his son thought remained a secret.

In truth, he was more worried about Alex's reaction than Lilith's. Three additional witches in the Hall might trigger any number of unpleasant memories of Draega, even if they didn't mean to. But just their presence might be enough to break the leash keeping him from turning savage.

So far, the boyo had maintained more control than Daemon would have expected. He suspected that Lilith had something to do with that. Alex mentioned that she'd spent their two days' travel to the Keep explaining Kaeleer to him. Daemon wouldn't have thought it possible, but maybe she'd actually done more than confuse him.

_Stranger things have happened_.

Even so, best to keep an eye on all of them until he knew how Alex would react. If the worst should happen, he might be able to shield the witches long enough to reason with the boyo.

_Or you might turn yourself into a target in a fight where you aren't wearing the dominant Jewels._

An unpleasant, but all too real, possibility. And if Alex unleashed the Ebon-Black here in the Hall, it was likely he could reduce everything in it to rubble. He hoped it wouldn't come to that.

**5/Kaeleer**

She wished that she could laugh at the expression on Daemon's face when 'Nelle had told him about Charlotte and the others. If Lilith didn't know better, she'd believe that he was on the edge of a panic attack. Not that she would blame him for it. Yesterday morning, 'Nelle had said it would just be Charlotte and Adrienne. Now it was a whole contingent.

_I can bet I know why,_ she mused.

It was a good plan, and Lilith was grateful that her friend was trying so hard to help her. But reconnecting with everyone wasn't going to 'fix' things with her and Alex the way 'Nelle wanted. Not if Lilith was going to survive here long enough to escape again.

That might be easier if she could act a little more like herself again, though. She'd seen how uneasy Lucivar had been during practice this morning. From the looks Daemon was giving her, he was just as wary. It wouldn't do her any good to have those two keeping such a close eye on her. So maybe it was for the best that 'Nelle had called in everyone to remind her of better times.

From across the table, she saw Titian flick a glance towards her, and down to her plate again. Lilith was sorry that she'd given the witch such a scare this morning. She hadn't meant to let it get that far, but something gripped her the moment she'd walked into that room. It had taken everything she had to stop that final blow from landing.

Even for an Eyrien, not exactly the way to greet a friend you haven't seen in months. She'd have to find a way to apologize for that later. In the meantime…

*When is everyone arriving?* she sent to 'Nelle.

*I told Papa this evening, but likely sooner- why?*

*Gives me an idea how much time I have left to be alone*

*You're not leaving now, are you? Breakfast is hardly started*

Lilith intended to look up at 'Nelle when she answered, but her eyes found their way to Alex instead. He was looking back at her, and must have been for some time. While not completely impassive, the expression on his face was impossible for her to read. But she got the impression that he was not happy about this morning's practice session.

It was difficult, but she dragged her eyes back down to her plate. Half of it remained untouched. Lilith couldn't find an appetite to finish it, and set her fork down.

*Yes, I am*

*But…*

*'Nelle, let it go*

With that, she pushed out her chair and stood. Not surprisingly, she drew the attention of everyone at the table. Thank the Darkness, no one asked where she was going or why. They just let her go. And once she was out of the room, Lilith breathed a little easier.

Until she got to her suite and found Haedyn and Taenne waiting for her, that is. The cats looked positively disgruntled with her. Lilith sighed inwardly and waited for one of them to come out with it. Taenne was more than happy to oblige.

*Supposed to eat* he pointed out in his bossiest of tones.

"I did eat, and now I'm back."

*Not enough*

"I think I know how much I need to eat."

The look he gave her suggested he thought otherwise.

*You trained with our winged Brother this morning*

Lilith crossed the room and stretched out on the bed, trying not to groan at her stiff muscles. Despite practicing on her own while she'd been in Hayll, a workout with Lucivar was still a challenge. She rolled over onto her back, tucking her hands under her head.

"Most certainly did, and I won't be forgetting it any time soon."

*The High Lord's cub trained too?*

"Yes, the Prince was there."

Haedyn jumped onto the bed and flopped down, taking half the space. He regarded her with half-closed eyes, tail twitching.

*You are still angry at him*

"I'm not angry at anyone."

*Yes angry*

She was going to deny it again, but kept silent. Not only would it do her no good, but Lilith knew he was right. She was angry. Mostly with herself, but part of it was directed at Alex.

"Is there some point you're trying to make?"

*Need friends* Taenne insisted.

"Who does- the Prince? Give it a few weeks and he'll make friends here. Trust me, he doesn't need me for that."

*Not true*

Warlord Princes were so incredibly stubborn, no matter what race they came from. How was she supposed to convince Haedyn and Taenne to drop this without getting Alex maimed? Lilith crossed her arms over her eyes and counted to ten before answering.

"It's not practical, don't you see? Once Daemon relents and lets me out of the Hall, I won't be here more than a few days of every month or so. Maybe not even that."

The cats were not so easily convinced.

*Made time for other friends* Haedyn pointed out.

"Yeah, but…"

*Make time for this one, too*

"You don't understand," she replied in weary frustration. "It's not just the time. The Prince doesn't want…"

Lilith caught herself before she finished that thought aloud. Even without raising her head, though, she knew they were watching her expectantly, waiting for her to continue. She flung her arms outward over the still rumpled coverlet and exhaled heavily.

*Doesn't want what?* Taenne prompted.

"It's just better this way," she said at last. "Better to leave things as they are. For me and for the Prince."

They wanted to argue with her, feelings abundantly clear- even without a psychic thread. But something held them back. Lilith curled onto her side and ruffled the fur behind Haedyn's ear. He nuzzled her forehead, eyes sad and dismayed.

And then he jumped down to cross the room. Both he and Taenne gave her one last measured stare before they left. Lilith tried not to wonder what they were up to now. If the Darkness was kind, they would listen to her about this thing with Alex. She didn't want to repeat that conversation again any time soon. Or ever.

_It's just better this way_, she repeated to herself.


	33. Chapter 32: The Monsters Inside

_**Author's Note: Again, apologies for the delay in getting this chapter posted. It's a long one, just as a warning. Also, hope there wasn't too much confusion about the new chapter. I posted a "Prologue", and I guess anyone getting notifications would have been sent to this chapter (now 33), since I re-ordered the list to put the Prologue where it belonged. Sorry! **_

**1/Terreille**

"Can we take a break for just a few minutes?" Bethaeny asked to no one in particular. Basically, to anyone who would answer. "I could use some time to let all of this settle in before we move onto anything new."

Prince Willem was the one to champion her cause. He smiled at her from his side of the table, and leaned back in his chair.

"Two straight days is a lot to take in," he admitted. "Vaerill- what do you think? Do we have time for a short reprieve?"

Bethaeny tried to look hopeful, but she knew Lady Claudia's Master of the Guard had taken their request for tactical help very seriously. He brought together a few other members of the Court, and spent the past few days and countless hours educating them on the ins and outs of taking over a territory.

Not that she wasn't grateful for their help. Since the audience with the Queen, Bethaeny had learned more than she ever expected to about what they'd been doing wrong in Hayll. Or at least why they hadn't done all that well. Listening to Prince Vaerill, she wasn't surprised that their group hadn't accomplished much in three months. Armed with his experience and skills, Bethaeny hoped to do much better when they got back.

But right now, all she wanted was a few minutes' peace to settle her thoughts.

"I suppose we could spare twenty minutes or so," he admitted at last. Bethaeny was so happy she could have danced.

"Excellent," Willem beamed. "There you go, Lady Bethaeny. Will that do?"

"Sure will. What say we take a walk outside and get out of this room for a while," she suggested to Ettia. "The side garden is pretty in the afternoon.

"It's rather hot out there," her cousin hedged.

"Oh come on. In a few days we'll be going back to Draega where the closest thing we have to a garden is that overgrown mess at the edge of Meredith's estate."

"Go if you want, but I'm staying here."

Bethaeny chewed on her lip in indecision. She wanted to see the gardens, but didn't want to snub Ettia. Why'd she have to be such a grouch lately? Her cousin had done little more than attend the meetings and stare off into space. And if anyone did try to include her in the discussions, she got all snippy. The only one who seemed able to prod her out of that mood was Prince Willem, but even that had been a challenge today.

"But Ettia…"

"I mean it, Bethaeny. I'm fine right where I am."

She looked to Willem for help, but he shook his head. So much for that idea. With a shrug, she decided she might as well go and enjoy herself. There was nothing she could do for her cousin.

"If that's what you want, I suppose I'll see you when I get back."

"Lord Shaede, would you please escort Lady Bethaeny to the gardens?"

She spun around again, shaking her head at Willem.

"Oh that's not necessary. There's no need to be a bother if I'm just going…"

"No bother at all, Lady," Lord Shaede insisted as he sprang to his feet. Before she could even protest, he'd stuck out his arm and whisked her out of the room.

They were halfway down the hall before she gathered her wits again, sliding to a stop. Shaede stopped, too, and turned to see what kept her. Bethaeny tried appealing to his sense of reason.

"I really can take care of myself, you know. You don't have to watch over me on a simple walk."

"It's Prince Willem's duty to make sure you and Lady Ettia are safe here in Amdarh," he pointed out.

"It's a walk in a garden," she countered with a roll of her eyes. "I'm not even leaving the grounds of the Queen's Residence."

"Give him a break. This is the first time he's been given such an important assignment by the Queen and he's a little nervous."

"Oh. Well, I guess I can understand it, then."

They resumed walking for a short while before Bethaeny thought to comment again.

"If he's that nervous, I'm surprised he sent you instead of coming along himself."

Lord Shaede cleared his throat and mumbled something she couldn't make out. She frowned slightly and tilted her head to see him better.

"Beg your pardon?"

"I said that he would have if he didn't know I wanted to go."

"You wanted to look at gardens?"

He pushed open the gate leading out into the path and let her pass through. Bethaeny stopped, noticing the flush rising in his face. Lord Shaede ran a hand through his hair and coughed, looking uncomfortable. Finally, he managed to answer.

"I wanted to go with you."

As the meaning of those words sunk in, Bethaeny felt an answering blush across her cheeks. Suddenly, it was much warmer in the noonday sun. Much too warm.

"Me?" she squeaked in disbelief. "Why me?"

"Why not you?"

"But I'm Hayllian, and was part of Meredith's court and-"

"Proved yourself brave enough to find a better life for not only yourself, but for other Hayllians as well," he interrupted her. "Not to mention chose to put yourself at risk to stand against a tyrant regime."

"Well, maybe, but I…"

"Light up a room with your positive and funny personality," he continued. "Lady Bethaeny, you're one of the finest witches I've ever known."

"I…don't know what to say," she admitted after several minutes. "I mean, I had no idea."

"It's all right. Don't say anything if you don't want to. I know that you're going back to Hayll and probably wouldn't think much of starting anything even if you were interested. There was always a good chance you weren't, but that's okay, too."

The poor Warlord had begun to babble. Bethaeny had never seen or heard of anything like this before. It was rather endearing, but then Shaede started to pull away, as if maybe he'd done something wrong. On impulse, she did the only thing that came to mind that might settle his doubts.

She kissed him.

At first, she felt nothing beyond his shock and disbelief. Now she worried that maybe _she'd_ made a mistake. But when Bethaeny tried to pull back, Shaede wrapped his arms around her. Instantly, the kiss flared between them, sending a shock wave of sensation through her body. No other kiss before had affected her in this way, and Bethaeny never wanted it to end.

He broke the kiss, though. She became aware of it by degrees. His fingers were tangled in her hair, while hers had looped up around his neck. Blood rushed in her ears to block out the sounds of the warm afternoon. Bethaeny drew a deep breath and tried to clear her head, feeling a little wobbly.

"That was, um…really nice," she whispered dreamily.

"Better than nice, if you ask me," he teased, voice low.

They were still pressed up against one another, and Bethaeny couldn't help noticing that Shaede was fully aroused. Then again, so was she. Her whole body tingled and ached, letting her know how far her control had slipped. Just from one kiss.

Mother Night.

Bethaeny nearly suggested that they abandon the walk, but tried to hold on to some dignity. After all, just because he'd kissed her and got excited didn't mean he wanted to go any further. And she definitely didn't want to make him feel like he had to. Then again, she ought to say _something_…but what?

"I would be tempted to do more, Bethaeny," he said regretfully. "But there are some things I don't like rushing, and twenty minutes isn't enough time for what I'd have in mind."

_Oh boy_. Bethaeny's insides quivered at the mental images his words evoked. She tried several times to answer before having any success.

"W-what did you have in mind?"

"Well I'd tell you, but I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise."

Her brain stuttered and threatened to stop working.

"Oh…right…the surprise."

"I could show you," Shaede offered. "If you were interested in letting me come to you tonight instead."

Tonight. He wanted to be with her tonight. She'd waited a lifetime to know what that was like. How was she going to make him understand? Bethaeny doubted she could, not really all that gifted with words. But she could at least give him an answer.

"I'll be more than interested. Even if Prince Vaerill talks all evening."

"Well then, perhaps we should get back? The sooner he's done, the sooner we can finish what we started."

Bethaeny smiled in agreement as Shaede pulled her back along the path to the Residence. She didn't even care that she hadn't seen any of the garden. All she could concentrate on was her hand in his, and the happiness she was feeling. Nothing could get her down today. Not after this. And even more to come later.

**2/Terreille**

It was late, but no one seemed inclined to leave the table. Gwynn tried to ignore the grumble in her stomach, knowing that they hadn't eaten since breakfast. From what she could tell, it was mid-afternoon. Maybe she should send to the kitchen for a snack…

"So we have no idea when Raenel will be back?" Nareth repeated.

"My Lady Tarine said she expected at least a month before she'd be back in Draega," their guest confirmed.

"Why would she have left the city just when things were going so wrong?"

"We've been asking the same thing, too, and are just as puzzled."

Murmurs travelled around the room. Gwynn could hear their dismay at Lord Isaac's message. When he'd arrived this morning, her First Circle had been excited that Queen Tarine had responded to the message she'd sent. They'd hoped for good news- namely that Raenel was staying in Tarine's district and had a plan against Meredith. As the morning wore on, it became evident that was not the case.

"Maybe we could reach her," Ellard suggested. "Did Lady Tarine know what part of Terreille Raenel was going to next?"

Lord Isaac shook his head regretfully.

"We're not even sure she's in Terreille."

"Say again," Gwynn asked in surprise. "Where could she have gone, then?"

"Kaeleer, I suspect."

"Kaeleer!" several voices exclaimed in hushed whispers.

Gwynn commanded silence for Lord Isaac continue.

"When she left, the Lady was set on returning Prince DeSade to his family. My Queen couldn't quite ask where that family lived, but from some of the answers she _did_ get, the impression was that they didn't live in Hayll or Dhemlan Terreille."

The world spun and dipped as Gwynn processed the Warlord's reply. That first part made her stumble for certain. Raenel hadn't mentioned a word about Prince DeSade when she'd been here. Sure, she'd heard not long after that about his disappearance from Meredith's Court.

But what was Raenel doing with him? Had she provided the opportunity for his escape?

If she had, the witch was absolutely crazy. Gwynn had seen her fair share of dangerous Blood males in her own district. A few of the men in her First Circle had been some of those once. Some still were, actually.

Even so, she couldn't imagine taking a risk on Meredith's pet. Prince DeSade. Why, the stories she'd heard of his exploits made her shiver in fear and horror. It was rumored that he was notorious as being the most vicious Warlord Prince in Hayll since the Sadist.

_Raenel, why? What do you know that would make you do such a thing?_

Her expression must have given those thoughts away.

"Surprises you, doesn't it," Lord Isaac prompted.

"Well…yeah. I mean, he's…"

"Not what we've been told," he finished for her. "I thought as you did before I met him in person. Scared the hell out of me, I won't deny. Anyone with a healthy sense of self-preservation should be wary of him. A Warlord Prince with Red Jewels is not to be taken lightly. But for all that, he was never the monster we've always heard him to be."

Gwynn wasn't entirely convinced, but the man was a member of Tarine's First Circle. For that reason, she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

"And Raenel was taking him to his family you say?"

"Caught all of us off-guard, too. One day they were in the Queen's Residence. The next, she was gone- and Prince DeSade with her. Lady Raenel slipping away wasn't all that odd, since we're used to that by now. But as far as we knew, the Prince was staying in the district."

"Apparently not."

"The First Circle was told later that the point of Lady Raenel's visit was to find out if he was ready to go home or not. She and Lady Tarine had discussed it ahead of time, but hadn't wanted to say anything in case the Prince decided to stay on."

Something else had to have been going on there, Gwynn knew. She couldn't quite place what sounded strange about the story, but it felt like something was missing. Lord Isaac wasn't likely to have any answers to what that might be, though. His telling of the events gave her the impression that he'd already exhausted what he knew about Prince DeSade's story.

_I'll have to write to Tarine about it if I hope to fill in any gaps he may have left out_.

In the meantime, she pressed onward.

"And she said the trip would take a month?"

He was quiet for a minute, and Gwynn realized she might have been pushing a little too hard. She laid her hands flat on the table and tried to look contrite.

"I don't mean to sound rude, Warlord. We're all just a little anxious."

"Understood, Lady Gwynn. The reports we're getting out of Lady Jaemie's district have everyone on edge lately. More so with Raenel gone for so long."

"Needless to say," Nareth spoke up. "Lady Raenel is not here and it's up to us to sort out what to do about Meredith's latest scheme."

"Probably best to get back on track with solutions rather than focus on what we can't do," Ellard added.

Trust those two to reel her back on topic. Gwynn was glad that they had, though, before she got too distracted by the story of Raenel and Prince DeSade. Work first….then she'd wheedle any remaining details out of Lord Isaac.

"Right." She swept a glance around the group assembled. "So, any ideas?"

As expected, no one wanted to be the first to offer anything. Their earlier discussions on the topic hadn't met with much success, so it wasn't the most encouraging of topics. But Turrin surprised her by clearing his throat to speak.

"I think we need to risk more missions into Lady Jaemie's territory. The stronger she gets, the more dangerous it will be for all of us. We need to do what we can to stop that from happening."

"Interfering in her territory could end up with more attention from Meredith and her pet Queens then we can handle."

"Only if they know where to look."

Dubious glances passed around the table.

"You have some plan to make sure they don't come looking here," Nareth grumbled. "Because I'd sure like to hear it."

"None of us have thought of asking for help from the Black Widows. We have several very talented ones in our district, and their Craft may unlock opportunities for us that we've been overlooking so far."

Mother Night, just what was he planning? Gwynn was almost afraid to ask, the incident of a few days ago still fresh in her memory. They'd just gotten back to normal after the healing potion disaster. She didn't want to go through that again.

"Turrin…"

"Her me out a minute," he pleaded

"All right, we're listening."

"It's not safe to go wandering in that district without some protection. I was thinking we ask the Black Widows to create illusions to disguise ourselves when we venture across the border. Nothing drastic, but enough that we're not noticeable. Kind of like the spell Raenel uses to camouflage our district."

"Do you think the witches here could pull off something that complex?"

"I think it's worth a try, and certainly better than having nothing."

"Point taken," Nareth agreed reluctantly. "And what were we going to do in Lady Jaemie's district once we're there"

"Use the best weapon Raenel ever taught us- Protocol."

"You're talking about teaching Protocol in Jaemie's district. Are you mad?"

Judging by the looks of most of her First Circle, Nareth wasn't alone in thinking so. All they could do was stare mutely.

But apparently Turrin wasn't so easily intimidated. He stood and circled to the other end of the table, directly across from her. Gwynn raised an eyebrow, but let him continue. Better a crazy idea than none at all. Turrin sketched her a slight bow and leaned forward to brace both hands on the wooden boards.

"No, Nareth, I'm not," he contended, tone serious. "I think this time on our own is a chance to prove to Lady Raenel that we are worthy of the help she gave us. What better way to do that then to use what we know to build up another community?"

It was a good start, but Nareth wasn't sold yet.

"In a district run by one of Meredith's pet Queens. It will be _twice_ as difficult for any of it to take hold."

"Every time we turn our backs, Lady Jaemie will be tearing apart what we lay down," Ellard added. "Lad, I think your idea is an admirable one- just…overly ambitious."

"It could work," said Lord Isaac, who had been quietly listening to the discussion.

Everyone turned to him in surprise. If they'd kept an eye on him while Turrin had been talking, they wouldn't have been. Which was why Gwynn wasn't. She'd seen him nodding as her First Escort presented his case. Now he appeared ready to support them, continuing the point.

"You are correct that it is a daunting undertaking, but I believe it can be done."

"We're listing."

"For one district alone, it would never work. As you already mentioned, leaving for any reason would mean losing any ground gained in the first place. And sending anyone in permanently is a dangerous option- or at least impractical. What's really needed is a compromise that allows us to be here and there simultaneously.

"That's why working with two districts is a smarter plan. Working together, we could devise a revolving support net. We each send in one or two people who'd be relieved by replacements a few weeks later. And by staggering the rotation schedule, we'd always have someone experienced training a replacement. Not only would it reduce the likelihood any of the Queen's bitches would detect us, but it would keep the new community from disintegrating."

Throughout Lord Isaac's speech, Gwynn saw several others lose their skepticism. Slowly, mind you. But they were won to the plan by the end of it. Even Nareth seemed satisfied. She decided now might be a good time for a vote, so Gwynn cleared her throat and motioned for silence

"You've all heard what Lords Turrin and Isaac have to say. I think it's the best idea we've come up with so far this morning, but I'd like to hear what everyone else feels. Each one of you cast your vote on the matter and we'll see if this is an option to pursue further."

They voted.

Eight strongly in favor of the plan; four still had doubts. After another round of discussion, even those four were swayed. Gwynn adjourned the morning's session with a request for everyone to return later that afternoon to begin the more challenging part.

Planning their next move.

**3/Terreille**

Ettia stared dully at her hands, hardly paying attention to her cousin's departure. Ever since the audience with Queen Claudia, she'd felt a kind of listlessness, especially during these endless meetings with the Master of the Guard. Part of her really wanted to listen to what he was teaching them. Even if she didn't think half of it would really work in Hayll, Ettia had to admit that he knew a lot about tactical planning.

But a large part of her just didn't care. About anything.

"I'm surprised you didn't want out of this room," she heard a voice above her head say.

Willem. Who else? Ettia shrugged and said nothing, hoping he'd drop it and leave her be. She just wasn't in the mood to deal with it. But she could feel the weight of his disapproval hanging over her without even looking up. He was sure to say something, so might as well get it over with.

"When we met, you didn't strike me as a witch who'd pout when things didn't go how she wanted."

Indignant, Ettia crossed her arms in front of her and frowned.

"I'm not pouting."

He settled into the chair opposite her, clearly unconvinced by her reply.

"Could have fooled me."

"Well I'm not."

"I have a six year old nephew who says the same thing in times like this. He's no more convincing than you are."

"I sure hope this isn't your idea of trying to cheer me up."

All humor left his face, which was strange. More than anyone she'd ever met, Prince Willem always seemed to look amused with the world. It was enough to make Ettia pay attention.

"I'm concerned about you, Ettia. The past few days, it's like you've given up and left your cousin to deal with everything."

"She's got a better mind for all this, anyway."

"Bullshit."

Her jaw dropped in shock, unprepared for the coarseness of his reply. Willem seemed pleased by her reaction and nodded.

"You heard me, Ettia. You are just as capable as Bethaeny, but you're deciding not to use your abilities. Why?"

"What's it to you what I decide to do?"

"Don't be flip with me. In a day or two, you're going back to Hayll, and you're going to need every advantage you have against Meredith. It feels wrong to see you wasting the opportunity to make the most of this time."

"And again, I ask why it should matter to you."

He said nothing at first, and she thought maybe she'd won and he'd give up. Then Willem shook his head.

"It matters because despite that prickly personality of yours, I consider you my friend. A friend I want to see again when all this is over. So snap yourself out of this useless self-pity or I'll drag you out myself."

The room was eerily silent after those words were spoken. Ettia glanced around and realized that everyone else had gone. They were alone in the room.

_He called me his friend. No Blood male has _ever _called me a friend before._

In point of fact, she's not sure any witch had ever called her a friend, either. They'd pretended often enough, but none of them ever meant it. Ettia knew that Willem did, though.

It gave her the courage to say something that she hadn't admitted to Bethaeny. Something she'd tried not to think about since the audience with Queen Claudia, and yet couldn't _stop_ thinking about. Ettia fiddled with a loose thread on the arm of her chair and gathered up her courage to say it aloud. Meanwhile, Willem seemed content to wait.

"What if not getting involved in the planning _is_ the best advantage I can give the others?"

"That doesn't make any sense to me at all."

"That's because you don't know what I know."

"And that is?"

She took a deep breath and let it go.

"You asked me the day we met what someone had to do to survive in Meredith's highest ranks. I'll answer the question, and maybe you'll understand why I said what I did. It's very simple, really. Some piece of you learns to be just like her, even if you don't want to be."

He tried to interrupt, but Ettia cut him off.

"It starts to believe the propaganda and the lies. You stand by and let things happen you know are wrong. And before long, you start to forget they're wrong. What's worse, you realize you're doing more than watching. You're doing it, too.

"Then one day you think you're going to break away- fight back against the witches who took that piece away from you. Get it back and make Hayll a better place. Only thing is, it doesn't quite work that way. Despite your best intentions, those old habits keep getting in the way of truly accepting a different way of life."

It was time to say what had been slowly filling her with dread and fear the past few days.

"So maybe you were right. Some things just can't be undone, and maybe that's a piece of you that never changes back," she finished in a whisper.

"Oh Ettia," he murmured. "I never should have said that to you. It's not true."

"No? Why else would I be so set against Bethaeny's idea to teach the Dhemlan version of Protocol back in Hayll? There's only one answer I can think of: I don't want it to work."

He scooted his chair closer to hers and leaned forward, forearms resting on his knees. Ettia stared at his hands, unable to look up so she wouldn't have to see him agree with her.

"Ettia, it's a long road back. Did you truly expect it would be an easy one?"

"Yeah, I kinda did," she admitted. "Why wouldn't it be? I don't want to be like them anymore. Easiest way to accomplish that is to just stop- so why is that so difficult?"

"Take it from someone who's seen countless witches struggle with the same battle. It's never as black and white as that. It takes years, and none of them dealt with anything as intense as you have."

Finally, she dared look up. Willem's expression was open and earnest. Ettia struggled to quiet the little voice scratching in her head, telling her that he was lying. Why would he lie- for what reason, she demanded of the voice. It tried to reel her in with the idea that his sympathy was only to get something he wanted.

What would he possibly gain by making her feel better? The voice receded, but didn't disappear. As she knew it wouldn't. Still, it was a small victory.

"I suppose so."

"Have you spoken to your cousin about this?"

"I mentioned it somewhat before the audience with the Queen. She's of the same opinion as you, but I figured she had to say it because she's family."

"From what I've seen, Bethaeny is the kind of witch who says what she means." He paused and sighed in bemusement. "Even if she gets tangled up in trying to explain just what that is."

Ettia caught his light-hearted remark and managed a wry smirk.

"You think there's time in the next few days for Prince Kholt to work on that with her? Lady Claudia's Steward certainly has more polish when it comes to speeches."

"I fear that is also going to be a long journey to overcome."

"I thought as much," Ettia grumbled.

Neither of them spoke for a few minutes. She found herself surprised at how much better she felt having confessed her worries to Willem. It was something she could never have conceived of doing in Draega. Paranoia that it would be used as a weapon later would have kept her from confiding in anyone- even with any of the witches in their group. Ettia didn't feel any of that right now. She wanted to thank him, if just for that.

"What?" He asked, looking at her quizzically. "You're giving me the strangest look."

"Sorry. It's just…" she hesitated. "It's dangerous to have a conversation like this in in Hayll- and especially in Draega. It's nice to find somewhere and someone where that's not the case."

"I'm glad to hear you say so, Ettia. The only dangerous conversation I want to have with you is about the fifth chapter of _The Winter Season_."

For the first time in several days, Ettia felt herself smile. She was gearing up to reply when the door opened and Bethaeny sailed into the room. Lord Shaede followed close behind. Both of them were laughing about who knew what, but Ettia's attention caught on the difference in the way they were looking at one another. Something happened on that walk to the garden. Willem caught on much quicker than she did, and rolled his eyes at her.

"It's about damned time," he commented half under his breath. "If I had to listen to Shaede moon over whether he was going to make a move or not for one more night, I was going to go crazy."

Move? What…Ettia darted her eyes back to the pair. At once, she understood what he meant.

"I had no idea. I don't think Bethaeny did, either."

"Since the first day we saw her in Amdarh. He's talked of little else since. Even wrote some poetry- which I sure hope he never shows to her at risk of embarrassing himself. He's not the best wordsmith, quite frankly."

A Warlord writing poetry about her cousin. The concept was quite beyond Ettia's grasp, but it somewhat eased her fears about what he wanted. Still, she couldn't stop herself from asking the question foremost in her mind.

"Is she safe with him," she whispered in a low voice that only Willem could hear. "I don't mean to offend, but…"

"Relax, it's okay that you need to ask. I would have thought it strange if you hadn't."

"Great. Now you make me sound like a worrywart."

"Not at all. I promise you that your cousin will be safe with Lord Shaede. On my honor."

As Ettia studied him, she admitted to herself that he was the first to speak of honor and mean every word. Satisfied, she leaned back in her chair and propped her head on one hand.

"Well I hope the two of them can get their minds back on the tactics of subverting Meredith," she remarked drily. "Our twenty minute break is nearly up and I don't want to be the only one paying attention to what Prince Vaerill has to say."

"So do I take that to mean you're going to be taking part in discussions going forward?"

"By the time we're through today, you might have fond memories of silence."

**4/Terreille**

Collette surveyed the group assembled in front of her. Yemar and Lady Damelle made good on their promise to find candidates for their youth network. Yesterday they'd reviewed a list, and today, she was meeting the first round of young people chosen. They all looked nervous, but hopeful, too. She hoped that was a good sign.

_ Well, I guess I ought to get stated._

"All right everyone, we're ready to begin the interviews." Collette motioned to the first boy on the left. "You first."

The boy swallowed nervously and stepped forward. This was probably the first time he'd been this close to a Queen, so she couldn't blame him. On the other hand, it was still strange to be thought of as intimidating. Collette never pictured herself as overly imposing.

"Your name?"

"Haerring, my Lady."

She immediately knew the name and smiled.

"Oh yes, your father supplies the Queen's Residence with most of our grains."

"That he does, Lady."

"What about you, then? Not interested in following that trade?"

The boy shook his head.

"I've got two older brothers. There's not enough room for me there."

Collette thought she heard him mumble under his breath something that sounded like 'not to mention it's dead boring'. When she caught Faeston cough and look away, she knew she wasn't the only one. So much the better. Maybe running messages and learning Court work would be more exciting for a boy his age.

"Well then, sounds like you might be the sort of person the Court is looking for. Has Lord Yemar explained to you the nature of the positions we're filling?"

"Yes, Lady. Said we might be message runners- between folks like my father and the First Circle."

"That's a part of it. Arguably, the largest part. But may be assisting the First Circle with other things as well."

"Aye, the Lord mentioned that as well."

That was half the work done already. She'd asked Yemar to speak to the youths before they came before her. No point in seeing them if the type of work didn't suit their interests. But she still had one aspect that she wanted to address in person. The young people before her needed to know the risks they would face as well.

"Good. Now I want to be clear up front that although it may not sound like it, the position you'd be filling in the Court is not always going to be a safe one. As you are aware, the neighboring districts are becoming more dangerous by the day, and the Blood ruling them will not care about age or gender if they catch you on Court business. Torture and death are possible."

Low murmurs sped through the line of young witches and Warlords waiting for their turn. Collette knew she'd alarmed them, but couldn't in good conscience ask them to volunteer themselves for this if they didn't know what they were getting into. She kept a steady gaze on Haerring.

"That being said, does this opportunity interest you, Lord Haerring? If not, I'd be happy to assist you to find something else in the district if this wasn't what you were hoping for. Don't feel as though you have to say yes."

The boy nodded and was silent for a few moments. Judging by his expression when they'd been talking, his acceptance of the position had already been made. Collette swore that she felt a pull with the boy similar to the one she felt with her First Circle. Not as strong, but there was a connection there.

_What would Raenel call it,_ she asked herself. _Second Circle, maybe? Not for a few years yet, though- when he's old enough to sign an official contract._

That's if they were able to keep Meredith and her pet Queens at bay that long. Before Raenel had left, she'd hinted that maybe they'd have a few years before they would be forced to declare war on Meredith. Collette certainly didn't want to attempt it any sooner.

_You may not have a choice_. If the reports coming out of Lady Julaene's district got any worse, she may have to defend her own district whether she was prepared or not. By whatever means necessary- including open war.

*Collette?* Faeston sent on a private thread. *Are you okay?*

*What?*

*You seemed to have drifted off into your own thoughts*

*Oh hell* she cursed at herself. *Sorry about that. I got distracted by a random observation and must have been pondering longer than I thought*

Shaking herself out of her reverie, Collette brought her focus back on the young man before her.

"My apologies to everyone for my momentary inattention. If I've missed your answer, Lord Haerring, I kindly ask you to repeat it."

"No problem, Lady. I would gladly take one of the positions you are offering, if you'll have me."

Although she caught the eyes of everyone in her First Circle for any last opinion, the final decision rested on her. She gestured to Correy.

"I believe we have our first member. Would you draw up the necessary documents and speak with the parents after this session?"

"Your will is my command, Lady."

"Welcome to the Court, Lord Haerring," she congratulated warmly.

"Pleased to be here, Lady Collette," he replied before stepping back in line.

The next was a witch of sixteen or so. She was a little less nervous than Haerring had been, but no less excited.

"Lady Mirabel," she offered with a barely contained nod.

A quick look at Lady Damelle told her who this was.

"You wouldn't happen to be the baker's daughter, would you?"

"My talents there are quite…" the witch lifted her hands in capitulation. "Well they're damned useless, except for turning bread into stone. As you're probably aware, my Lady. I was hoping that maybe this would be a more promising direction."

The girl had a sense of humor about her own failings, which immediately struck a chord with Collette. She heard a little of herself in that somewhat acerbic tone- reminded of conversation she'd had with Raenel during her early training years. She'd always felt like she was a fish out of water during those lessons, too.

"And what might you be more interested to learn?"

"I'm good at organizing things," Mirabel offered quickly. "Papa gave me those jobs to keep me out of the kitchen."

*You hear that, Correy- we may have an assistant for you in the record archives*

She couldn't resist teasing him, since he'd been the hardest to convince about the idea. But was surprised at his rather enthusiastic reply.

*Once we start this petition system, I'm going to need one*

"I'm sure we could use those skills," Collette said with a smile. "And not to worry- no kitchen work here."

"I'd be happy to try my hand at _anything_ else, Lady."

"And you understand the risks?"

The witch nodded. "Yes, I do."

"Welcome to the Court, then, Lady Mirabel."

They continued with the audience for a long while. A lot longer than Collette realized. Next time, she'd be sure that Yemar scheduled less people to interview. Twelve at a time was far too many. More than a few of the youths were getting restless, even though they remained politely quiet. At least she'd had the idea to bring in chairs halfway through, or the audience would have been uncomfortable standing so long.

Finally, it had come down to the last tone. A witch of the same general age as the others, with a similar story as well. But Collette got an uneasy feeling about her that she hadn't felt with the others. Not even with the ones who didn't end up wanting a position with the Court. She would have accepted them no question if they hadn't changed their minds. This witch was different somehow, although Collette couldn't put her finger just why.

Just in case it was her imagination, she called the girl forward to interview her.

"And what's your name?"

"Lorraine, Lady."

"What were you hoping for when you heard about the positions we were opening in the Court?"

"My father is a blacksmith, you see. It's not really a business for ladies."

The girl's tone said a lot to her. More than the words. Hard and dirty work didn't suit Lorraine's ideas of what she wanted to do with her life. Trouble was, the work expected of the messengers wasn't exactly going to be easy, either. Collette didn't want to take on anyone not willing to work hard, and was inclined to give her decision already. But the girl went on.

"I got stepped on a few times and thought this might earn less broken toes."

It was a good joke, similar to what Mirabel had done earlier in the audience. Titters of laughter escaped several of the other young people, and even some of her First Circle. So why didn't Collette find it as entertaining? Perhaps because it felt…rehearsed. Like the witch had purposefully told a joke to get a more positive reaction. It wasn't really natural to her personality. But she couldn't be sure either way.

"I did mention earlier that messengers will be taking some risks," she said. "That may include physical danger from time to time."

"Oh I understand that, Lady. I'm not afraid."

_You should be, little witch_, Collette mused grimly. _If any of Lady Julaene's coven get their hands on you, you'll suffer far worse than broken toes._

"I just wanted to be sure you understood."

"Of course."

She ought to just put an end to this and reject the girl now. It wouldn't be pleasant, but she didn't want the girl involved in her Court. Unfortunately, her hesitation had created an awkward pause. Lady Lorraine was looking at her expectantly, obviously very sure that she'd get offered a place. That would only make this harder.

*Are you waiting for something, Lady* Yemar queried. *Dwyne was wondering what's behind the delay*

*Dwyne? Why him?*

*I guess this witch is from his neighborhood in the district, and he was really hoping to do this for the girl's father*

*Did he say why?*

*No* Yemar was instantly alert. *Is there a problem?*

*Maybe. Do you feel anything off about her?*

Yemar easily slid into his Master of the Guard role, and swept a critical eye over the girl. Looking for who knew what. But that was the mystery of his skills that Collette had learned to trust almost as much as her own instinct. So when he shrugged, she was dismayed that he hadn't picked up anything to support her feeling.

*Maybe she's a little more opinionated than the other girls, but I think she's a year or two older*

Maybe that's all it was. Collette began to waver, and looked to Dwyne, who was eagerly waiting for her decision.

_I can always choose to dismiss her later if I need to_, she reasoned. _In the meantime, I can watch her to see if it's just a difference of personality or not_.

"Well, if you're sure-"

"Oh yes, very sure, Lady. I really want this chance to do something so important. For our community," she added as an afterthought.

Opinionated for sure. Collette hoped no one noticed that she was gritting her teeth over the girl's temerity. She'd actually interrupted her, and didn't seem to care that she had done it. That would have to be dealt with soon or she'd bounce Lady Lorraine out on her bottom before sundown.

"Welcome to the Court, Lady Lorraine."

"You won't regret it, I promise."

As the girl turned away, Collette couldn't help feeling that she already was.

**5/Terreille**

If this meeting lasted one more minute, Bethaeny might lose her mind. She'd barely been able to focus since that kiss with Shaede in the garden. But Prince Vaerill and the others either hadn't noticed, or just decided to ignore her occasional lapses. They'd merely gone on and on about what options they had, and which might work the best.

By best, Bethaeny understood they meant which ones would destroy Meredith and her coven in the end. But all of them promised a good deal of bloodshed and sacrifice on their part. More than Bethaeny had expected, honestly. No doubt Ettia would gloat about that the whole way back to Hayll.

Although…she sneaked a quick look at her cousin. Ettia was certainly different ever since the break this afternoon. She'd said more in the first five minutes than she had all morning. Hell's fire, she'd even managed to give meaningful suggestions that actually sounded positive. Willem had performed the impossible, it would seem.

_I wonder if maybe there's something going on with them like me and Shaede?_

Doubtful, but not impossible. It might be fun to tease her cousin a little. Tomorrow. Tonight, she had plans, and none of them included Ettia, Willem or anything about the struggle with Meredith back in Hayll. Bethaeny unerringly found Shaede and felt her pulse jump when he winked at her. Oh boy.

"Lady Bethaeny?"

She jerked at the sound of her name, temporarily disoriented.

"I'm sorry, what?"

From the far side of the table, she swore she heard snickering, but wasn't sure if it was Shaede or Willem. Prince Vaerill ignored it and continued what he had been saying.

"I think we've done as much as we can for the night, if you and Lady Ettia agree."

_Oh hell yeah, I agree_. Not that she could _say_ it like that, though. And she ought to ask Ettia, too.

*I'm ready to call it a night* she sent as casually as she could manage. *What do you think?*

*My dear cousin, I'm surprised that you didn't leap out of your chair the second Prince Vaerill suggested it*

*I don't know what you're talking about*

*Oh no? I've seen you and Lord Shaede looking at one another all afternoon. Did you think I wouldn't notice?*

Bethaeny kinda hoped she wouldn't. Despite the sudden mood change, she doubted Ettia would approve of what she wanted to do. She sighed, resigned to listening to her cousin's reasons why it was inappropriate or wrong to go to bed with Shaede.

*Are you disappointed in me?*

*Not at all, actually*

*Really?*

*Really*

Who would have thought it? Willem really did work the impossible.

*Well, then, since I don't hear any disapproval your way, I'm telling him we're good for the night*

*Go ahead*

*We'll talk tomorrow about what we learned today, okay?*

*Yes, yes. For pity sake, Bethaeny, just go before you burst something*

"Thank you, Prince. Yes, I believe today has been very productive, but it might be good to take some time to contemplate on it before going further."

*Very smooth answer, cousin* Ettia sent with a smirk. *You are almost convincing enough to make him believe you're going to 'contemplate' something other than what Lord Shaede looks like naked*

Bethaeny barely managed to keep from choking. What in the hell had happened to her cousin? She wasn't used to Ettia engaging in this sort of banter. Not that she didn't enjoy the change, but it was a little strange compared to the cousin she'd known for the past few decades.

As soon as she gathered her wits, Bethaeny snapped back with a witty reply.

*I don't intend to contemplate on that for very long*

With that, the meeting quickly adjourned. Claudia's First Circle emptied out of the room with nods and quiet words of farewell. In minutes, only the four of them were left behind. Willem's look was knowing- and that was being generous. He tipped his head to Ettia.

"Why don't you and I go argue some more about our favorite book? I think one of these days I'll convince you that I'm right about chapter five."

"I doubt it, but if you're willing to try again, I'll be more than happy to prove you wrong again."

He held out a hand to her.

"Shall we?"

"Good night, cousin," Ettia said as she took it. She looked at Shaede. "And you, Lord Shaede."

"Good night, Lady Ettia."

And then they were gone and it was just her and Lord Shaede. Alone. Bethaeny was feeling very warm all of a sudden. And kind of nervous. How stupid was that? This shouldn't be such a big deal. She wasn't a virgin. Men had seen her naked before, and she'd seen plenty of them naked.

Not like this.

Bethaeny was struck by the realization why this time was so different, and she almost wanted to call the whole thing off. She hadn't really thought this through, had she?

In Hayll, she never had to worry about whether a man was satisfied. Hell's fire, she didn't know much of anything to ensure Shaede would be. What if she made an idiot of herself? What if he was disappointed? Oh she couldn't endure the humiliation of that outcome.

But he was already moving towards her, a determined and intent look on his face. She had to say something before it was too late. The words stuck in her head, not even getting as far as her mouth, which seemed to be just as useless at the moment. Shaede must have noticed her panic, and stopped just before reaching her.

"Bethaeny? What's wrong?"

_He's going to think I'm so stupid if I tell him._ But she didn't want to lie, either. Bethaeny floundered helplessly, at a loss how to answer. He studied her carefully for a minute or two, concern evident.

"If I had to guess," he offered at last, "I'd say you're scared."

"I…"

"Is it the Ring issue?"

"The what?"

"The Ring of Obedience. We don't have them here in Dhemlan and I know that can be daunting for a witch from Hayll. Especially if a man's Jewels outrank hers. If that's what has you worried, I swear you'll be safe. The last thing I'd want to do is break you, Bethaeny. I hope you know that."

"Oh," she replied slowly.

Bethaeny was caught off guard at the direction of his guess. He'd completely misread the reason for her anxiety. The idea that Shaede would hurt her hadn't even crossed her mind. Even now that he'd brought it up, Bethaeny couldn't find any part of her that believed it could happen.

There was no help for it. The only way to clear up this mess was to admit what was really bothering her. She just prayed that he wouldn't laugh.

_I'll just die if he laughs_.

"No…it's nothing like that," she assured him. "It's just…damn, this is so embarrassing."

"What is?"

Maybe she could find a way to explain it without having to say anything outright. Vague was good. So she tried to give him an obvious- and yet nonspecific- hint, hoping that Shaede would understand.

"I'm Hayllian."

"Yeah, I thought we covered that this afternoon."

Okay, so he didn't understand. She'd have to give him a little more help before her point got through.

"Only partly."

"You're Hayllian and I'm Dhemlan- there's not that much difference."

_Oh but there is_, Bethaeny wanted to say. He just didn't know what it was.

Now Bethaeny felt more than just embarrassed. This was far worse than just a lack of skills. She realized that before they could go any further, she would have to tell him something very unflattering about herself, and worried that instead of laughing at her…he might hate her.

By all rights, he should hate her. After all, hadn't she used the Ring on Warlords in Draega and dosed them with _safframate_? She may have had mixed feelings about it at the time, but it hadn't stopped her. That wasn't going to be easy to admit. Bethaeny took a deep breath and prayed to the Darkness that she'd make it through this without making too much of a disaster of it.

"You may think otherwise when you hear what I have to tell you."

Shaede shifted on his feet and gestured for her to continue.

"I've done things," she began. "Things I'm not proud of when I look back on them. You mentioned that in Hayll we have the Ring. Well I've used one. And _safframate_. In Meredith's Court, that's all you learn. To be cruel, and…" her voice broke and a lump lodged in her throat.

Bethaeny struggled to talk around it. She had to keep going.

"That's how I was there. Maybe not as bad as any of Meredith's pet favorites, but I was one of her monsters all the same. That's what it means when I say I'm Hayllian."

The room was deathly silent. She noticed that at some point, she'd lowered her eyes to her hands. Probably for the best. If Shaede hated her now, Bethaeny would rather not see it. She waited for him to say something- anything- about what she'd just told him. The longer it took, the more she was afraid she was right.

When tears threatened to fall, she tried to cover it up with a hurried sniff. Bethaeny wiped a hand over her cheek and tried to retreat.

"Maybe…maybe I should just go."

"Don't bother, _Lady_," he cut in coldly. "I was just leaving."

She closed her eyes against the vehemence in his voice, wishing she could disappear. Her worst fears had come true. Now that he knew what she really was, he hated her. It hurt.

The room was silent, so Bethaeny figured Shaede must have left. No reason to stay here any longer. She might as well go back to her suite. With a sigh, Bethaeny opened her eyes again and looked up. Shaede was still there, glaring stonily at her.

"You're the worst kind of hypocrite. I thought you were like Lady Raenel, but I was wrong. You're just like the witches who had her murdered, and I'm sorry that we wasted any time on trying to help you. How can someone like _you_ help fix Hayll? _You're_ part of the problem."

Tears filled her eyes, making her vision a little blurry. Not enough to completely obscure the contemptuous look on Shaede's face. She felt ripped apart and battered. The things he'd said were far worse than anything Meredith had said to her. Made all the more hurtful because Shaede's opinion truly mattered to her- as much or more than Ettia's.

"Please listen…" she begged.

"I don't want to hear anything _you_ have to say. You've said quite enough already. From now on, stay far away from me, Lady. I want nothing more to do with you or your cousin."

With that, he turned on his heel and stalked out of the room. Bethaeny barely held onto her dignity long enough for him to be out of earshot before she started weeping bitterly. She couldn't even stand, and collapsed into one of the chairs. And for a long while, all she did was cry.

Eventually, Bethaeny ran out of tears. Her throat was raw, just like her eyes and nose. She probably looked awful, but that didn't really matter much, did it? Not after what Shaede had just said about her. Might as well be as ugly on the outside as he thought she was on the inside.

She stood and walked unsteadily to the door into the hall. Now if she could just get back to her suite without running into anyone else- especially Willem and Ettia. The last thing she needed was to have them prying into her with questions about what happened. Bethaeny just wanted to be left alone.

If she was lucky, she could convince Ettia to go to the meetings alone for the next few days. They only had a few more before going back to Hayll. Maybe she could pretend to be ill so she wouldn't have to see Shaede. Bethaeny couldn't face that look again, and tried not to dwell on the thought that it would be the last memory of him she would take away from here.

How had a day that started out so well go so wrong in the end?


	34. Chapter 33: When Queens Gather

**1/Kaeleer**

The Queens and Boyos descended on the Hall like an avalanche. Daemon braced himself as best he could and prepared for impact. At least he didn't have to face it alone. Lucivar and Surreal were beside him, although her support seemed focused on wagering who would be the first to get hauled into his study. He wouldn't find it half so irksome if she didn't win _every time_.

As for his brother, Lucivar had delayed returning to Ebon Rih long enough to be at the Hall when everyone arrived. No doubt with a separate agenda to scout out what he had to work with for training. And for the thousandth time, Daemon was glad not to have been born Eyrien.

"The Boyos and Titian are going to stay over," his brother mentioned suddenly.

Daemon reeled back on his heels, unprepared. Once the shock wore off, though, he turned to Lucivar.

"They're what!?"

"They wanted to be with their friends. What's three more going to make any difference, anyway?"

"You can't just leave them here and fly off to Ebon Rih."

"Can so. And that's just what I'm going to do."

Daemon knew arguing with his Eyrien brother was useless, and resigned himself to taking in his niece and nephews for the next week or so. At least he _hoped_ this would only last a few weeks. How long could the Queens afford to be gone from their home courts?

No time to worry about that. Beale was admitting the first guests to arrive into the great hall. Charlotte and her First Escort, Lukas. Since her last visit to the Hall, she'd become Territory Queen. He did not look forward to the first time he'd have to broker a trade agreement for Dhemlan.

He supposed he'd survive it somehow.

They crossed the room to stand before him. Charlotte was dressed as he always remembered- a flowing jacket over tailored pants. Today it was an ensemble of deep green, which accentuated the paleness of her hair. It was shorn off at the jawline in a sleek cut to flatter the natural beauty of her face.

Next to her, Lukas was slightly richer in coloring. But not by much. Only the faintest hint of yellow gilded his hair. The boyo had matured even since the last time Daemon had seen him. Not just physically, but in the way he held himself. And then Lukas smiled at him. It bespoke trouble already.

"High Lord," Charlotte greeted him and turned to Lucivar. "Prince Yaslana."

"Lady Charlotte," he acknowledged. "Prince Lukas."

"I don't know if we're early or late, but we're here."

"Right on time, actually," said Jaenelle Saetien, who was rushing down the stairs. She barely pulled to a stop before running into them.

"'Nelle!"

"You're really here."

"Yup, you're stuck with us now."

"Not to mention us."

Daemon turned in time to see Heather siding up to the group. A few stray wisps of sandy brown hair had escaped the elaborate braid trailing over one shoulder. She'd woven sprigs of some flowering fern in it this time, picking up the hazel of her eyes. They danced with lively amusement, as usual.

Behind her followed her brother Gregory- an older, more solid version of Heather. Although he had a few more freckles than his sister did. But they both shared a similar temperament. Daemon wasn't sure he was ready to handle the mischief he knew Gregory would be up to.

_Could be worse_, he considered. _Could be Paresha and her brothers. Those three are beyond mischief_.

That's when he noticed another Warlord in their group that he didn't recognize right away. This one had neither the brown hair nor hazel eyes of his companions. His dark hair and grey eyes reminded him of Aaron from days long gone. He didn't have time to wonder long at who the Warlord might be. Jaenelle craned her neck around the Glacians to see the new arrivals.

"And who'd you bring there? That's not Wellert I see. He swore he'd never leave his pile of books the last time I visited Dharo."

The young man smiled sheepishly and tried not to fidget.

"Heather is a good motivator. I believe her exact words were 'pack your stuff and get moving, or else'."

"Or else what?"

"I packed my things so I wouldn't find out."

Laughter filled the room. Knowing Heather, the young man had likely meant for that to be serious, but no one could resist the humor in it. Daemon included. So far all was going well enough, and it was almost over.

_Five down. Just two more to go._

"Now that sounds familiar," said a male voice. "Maureen was similarly insistent this morning."

Wait…Maureen? What was she doing here?

Jaenelle had clearly said it was only supposed to be Charlotte, Adrienne and Heather. Daemon prayed to the Darkness that he'd just misheard the name. But when he looked closely, that prayer went unheard. Maureen and her escort, Rordan, were indeed joining the ever growing crowd in the great hall.

*Did the waif forget to mention them at breakfast* Lucivar asked. To Daemon's ear, he sounded far more amused than he had a right to be.

*I don't know, but that doesn't matter much, does it? They're here*

*That they are*

"Oh hey," Jaenelle said, genuinely surprised. "I thought you weren't going to be here for a few more weeks."

Well, that explained why she hadn't mentioned them at breakfast. And gave Daemon an idea what to expect when this group all went home. He had a bad feeling that the Hall would become a revolving guest house for the coven and the boyos until he admitted defeat and let Lilith leave. A plan that would likely succeed, Daemon had to admit.

"Changed my mind," the young Queen answered with a shake of her auburn hair and a wink. "Why would I pass up the chance to visit with everyone? An opportunity like that doesn't happen every day."

He wasn't sure he was ready for such an opportunity to be happening right now. Once Adrienne arrived, they'd have four Queens in the Hall- not to mention three Warlord Princes. Mother Night.

And it seemed the Darkness wasn't hearing any of his prayers today. Beale had just ushered in Paresha and her two brothers from Nharkhava. Also not on the list of who he was expecting to see.

_No. Oh no. Not the three of them._

**2/Kaeleer**

Alex watched the gathering from his secluded corner, sight shielded. 'Nelle had asked if he would come meet everyone tonight, but he knew that could be a mistake. So far, he was glad to have been cautious. When the first Queen and her escort arrived, he immediately noticed tension building in him. Somewhat like he'd felt the first few times he'd felt around Tarine in Draega. He'd hoped that it wouldn't get any worse than that.

By the time the third Queen arrived, he was close to the killing edge. Didn't matter that this was Kaeleer instead of Terreille, or that none of these witches were anything like the Queens in Hayll. He wanted them dead. Worse than dead. But Alex fought against that desire and held onto his sanity. Barely.

What had his sister been thinking to invite them here?

*These are our humans* Taenne's voice rumbled across a spear thread. *We do not hunt our humans*

The cats had been his almost constant shadows ever since just after breakfast. Apparently Lucivar wasn't the only one who'd decided he needed immediate training. It was unnerving to have the undivided attention of two very large and dangerous predators. But Alex didn't dare turn down their help. Judging by how he felt now, he was going to need it.

Alex took his eyes off the witches briefly, glancing at Taenne.

*I'm not hunting anyone*

It was a lie, he knew. They knew it, too.

*Not hunt our humans* Haedyn repeated firmly

There was no point in denying it a second time, so he asked a question instead.

*What do you mean 'our humans'?*

*The Lady and her friends- intelligent humans. They belong to us*

*And the humans who don't? Is it okay to hunt them?*

*Not outside our Territory unless the Lady says*

They didn't sound happy about it. Alex didn't blame them, as it seemed he was expected to follow the same rule. He was reminded of the order Lilith had given him in Draega. Meredith and her coven bitches would be dead if she hadn't told him he couldn't hunt them down. She'd been right, of course. But that didn't mean Alex had to like it.

*Is dangerous to be here- not enough training yet*

*I don't think I'm going to have a choice, short of telling 'Nelle they can't stay. And I doubt she'll listen*

*The Lady will help*

*Lilith? Oh hell no*

*Only one who can help* Taenne stressed.

More true than Alex wanted to admit. But just as he doubted 'Nelle would listen to him about the Queens, so he doubted Lilith would be willing to help him deal with them. Hell's fire, he wasn't sure she wouldn't gut him for just talking to her, based on the mood she was in this morning.

*I can't ask her that*

They shared a glance, which Alex didn't like one bit.

*We can ask*

Just what he needed. How pathetic he'd look if Haedyn and Taenne had to plead on his behalf with Lilith. Not an option.

*No, but thank you for the offer*

The cat was about to reply when another group walked in the great hall.

**3/Kaeleer**

Next to him, Surreal was practically choking with the need to laugh. That or go into a fit of hysterics. The last time the trio had been at the Hall, Paresha's twin brothers had been overly fond of pretending to be the other. Mrs. Beale had been the unwitting foil to one of their pranks, and Daemon distinctly remembered his cook threatening _him_ with the business end of her meat cleaver if she caught them at it again.

*Surreal…* he sent to her, somewhat panicked.

*I hope you're ready to do battle with Mrs. Beale again over those two* she sent on a Gray thread.

*Dammit, it's not funny*

*Mmmm…Khamil and Teodaer sure thought so*

*I swear I'm going to find a spell to tell them apart*

*So you keep saying*

He hadn't, though. Identical in every way- even their caste and Jewels were the same. Daemon wasn't sure whose bright idea _that _was. Certainly not something he would have ever have let happen. And he certainly wouldn't have made them brothers to one of the wildest Queens in Kaeleer.

In a word, Paresha was incorrigible. Daemon could think of several others, and had heard them all from her father, Dusan. The poor man almost didn't survive her teenage years, when she was fond of running wild over Nharkhava. She'd disappear for days with the help of her brothers, only to turn up at the home of one of the other witches in the coven.

Not that Paresha wasn't a good Queen. She was just as disciplined when it came to ruling her court as any of the others. But that wild streak…Mother Night he was glad Jaenelle Saetien never picked it up. He'd had his hands full enough with her without adding that in.

Luckily, the flow of newcomers paused for a little while. Everyone was standing in groups, talking excitedly amongst one another. It was damn near deafening.

"I remember the last time the Hall felt like this," Lucivar whispered beside him. "It hasn't been this way since Cat ruled Askavi."

The similarities weren't lost on Daemon, triggering thoughts about the webs he'd woven a few months ago. Warnings, death and an eerie feeling that something was coming. And now Queens were gathering in the Hall again. All here to see Lilith, who just happened to bring back his lost son from Draega.

_Lost_, he thought with a jolt. _The Lost Dreamer. _

How could he not have seen it when they first arrived? Tersa told him to ask the Lost Dreamer about the Weaver and her web. About Lilith. Daemon should have realized that the second she revealed that she was a Black Widow. When he'd been with Lilith in the study, he'd almost put it together, but the connection had been just out of reach.

Daemon wished he'd had this epiphany sooner. With the Queens and the Boyos here, it was going to be next to impossible to ask Alex what he knew of the Weaver. But he was damn well going to try his best.

"Papa?"

He heard Jaenelle Saetien's voice piercing through his thoughts, bringing him back to the situation at hand.

"Witch-child"

"I'll settle things with Helene-I promise."

"Did I truly look that worried?"

"Horrified is the word that comes readily to mind."

Well he was…just about something else.

"Well then, since you offered, you may certainly do all the explaining about our guests."

Which appeared to have increased in number while he had been thinking. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of two silver-blonde heads near the back. That would be Adrienne and Jourdain from Dea al Mon. But next to them were two others he'd missed somehow.

Katerin and Hugh from Amdarh.

Nearly every non-Kindred Territory in Kaeleer was represented in the assembled group. An alarming thought struck him.

*Witch-child?*

Jaenelle slanted a look at him, still in conversation with Adrienne.

*Papa?*

*We're not expecting any of the Kindred, are we?*

*Expecting?* She paused, thoughtful. *No, not really*

That answer did not cure his uneasiness, so he tried again.

*_Should_ we expect any of the Kindred?*

*Maybe*

If the coven and boyos hadn't been between him and the hallway to his study, Daemon may have made a run for it right then. But they were, so he stayed where he was and tried not to picture a Unicorn or a Fyreborn dragon appearing on the lawn tomorrow morning. So he focused on what he had to deal with now to distract himself.

Six Queens accompanied by eight Boyos- most of them Princes or Warlord Princes. The eerie feeling closed in on him again. Seeing them all together in this way stripped away what he hadn't noticed in all these years.

Jaenelle and Lilith had been friends with each of them all for a decade or longer. For Katerin and Hugh, even longer than that. Daemon hadn't recognized how significant those friendships were when scattered over the Realm. But all in one place together…it meant something. He was sure of it.

Just then, Charlotte glanced around the room and spoke up over the cacophony of excited voices.

"Hey, 'Nelle, I think we're missing someone."

"If I'm to believe what I heard, we're missing two someones," Adrienne countered.

"Did you forget to invite the guests of honor?"

An uncertain look flashed across his daughter's face for a split second. Lilith had disappeared during breakfast and hadn't been seen since. She could be anywhere in the Hall. All that mattered was that she wasn't here.

"Well…"

"Invite? Oh I think not," Lilith corrected from the stairs behind them. "I'm pretty sure 'Nelle insisted."

Everyone spun around- Daemon included. She stood alone, Alex nowhere to be seen. Maybe that was for the best, since she looked a lot more…approachable…than she had this morning. Still not completely normal, though. Daemon could see remnants of that cold rage lurking behind the easy smile.

He'd asked Lucivar more about the training session after breakfast. What his brother had told him had been chilling. She'd almost killed his niece. With a practice stick, no less. It had shaken Lucivar up enough that he'd lost some of that Eyrien arrogance of his when he'd recounted the details. Jaenelle had told the truth; Lilith was dangerous, even to them.

_As if I needed any more reason to dread calling her back into my study_, Daemon thought sourly. _What in the name of Hell did Alex say to stir up that much rage?_

But for the moment, it seemed Lilith was willing to bury that rage. They'd see how long that lasted once Alex arrived.

"Well, if insisting is the only way to get you to make an appearance, I'm right there with her. You were gone waaaaay too long this time."

"Hmmm…that seems to be the prevailing opinion around here."

With that, Lilith descended the stairs to join the group. His eyes followed her as she wandered through the various groups. She laughed and joined conversation, although maybe not quite as animated as everyone else was. No one seemed to notice if she was slightly distant, too focused on other things to see it. He did, though.

Before long, they all disappeared to another part of the Hall. It was just the three of them left.

"Well that could have gone worse," Surreal said with a shrug.

Daemon looked at his wife as if she'd grown a second head. He gestured in the direction they'd gone, presumably up to the family wing of the Hall.

"Did you not see them- couldn't have gone _worse_?"

"Jaenelle could have just let them show up without any warning."

"She wouldn't dare," Daemon insisted, hoping he sounded a lot more certain than he felt. "Anyway, I wouldn't celebrate just yet. Give it a week or so and then we'll see."

"Six Queens," Lucivar pointed out. "That is going to be a much bigger challenge for the Boyo to handle. Three was going to be difficult enough."

He was right. And if Alex lost control of his rage, he'd destroy them. Not just them. Right now Charlotte was the only one who'd taken on duties as a Territory Queen, but the others weren't far behind her. Alex could wipe out an entire generation, leaving those territories without a strong ruling Queen. Kaeleer would be devastated, taking decades to recover.

It could tear the whole Realm apart.

"She'd better know what she's doing," he muttered to himself.

"What was that?"

"Jaenelle Saetien. She'd better be sure that this was the right idea."

"Shall we go find a place to hide for the rest of the evening? I don't know about you, but this is one reunion I'd like to avoid."

"I'm headed back to Ebon Rih for the night," Lucivar replied with a laugh. "Won't probably be back for a day or two."

"You're really going to leave me to deal with them on my own."

"The way I see it, treat them like we did Cat's coven and the boyos. Better yet, how father would treat them. You'll survive it, old son."

He was already halfway out the door before finishing that last sentence. Daemon didn't have time to argue before he was gone.

"The Prick" he snarled.

"And you expected anything else because?"

"I don't know. I really don't."

They looked at one another for a minute or two.

"Sooo…to the study?" she suggested.

"Definitely."

**4/Kaeleer**

While he'd been talking with the cats, more Queens had arrived. Mother Night, six of them. Here in the Hall. Even in Meredith's courts he'd never had to deal with that many all together. Not to mention so many Warlords and Warlord Princes. From what he could tell, most of them wore dark Jewels. Rank Jewels rarely lighter than Purple Dusk.

_That's a lot of power in that room_, he thought to himself. _Probably more than in all of Draega_.

He let that thought go and picked up their discussion about types of humans.

*You said they belong to you as your humans?*

*They belong to the Lady*

*Does she know that?*

*No*

He figured as much, not surprised. And speaking of the Lady, it looked like Lilith had finally arrived. Alex watched the reactions of the Queens and their escorts- especially the latter. The cats were right; they belonged to her.

That did not sit well with Alex. Not one bit. His rage at the Queens shifted- sharpened- focused on every male in the room. If any one of them so much as touched Lilith, he was prepared to unleash it.

*They are _not_ rivals* Haedyn growled at him. *Not in that way*

Alex was distracted enough that the rage slid away from him. A little.

*What way?*

The cats exchanged another look. This time it seemed exasperated.

*They do not want to be the Lady's mate*

Aw shit. If Haedyn and Taenne could tell that much, Lucivar definitely could. And likely told Daemon Sadi by now. Wasn't that wonderful?

There was nothing he could say to convince the cats they were mistaken. So he said the only thing he could to protect himself.

*You can't tell Lilith about that*

*Why not?* Taenne queried in confusion. *Can't be mates if the Lady doesn't know*

*We wouldn't be mates even if she does. She doesn't want to be mates and that's all there is to it*

*Said no?*

They just would _not _let this go. Alex was beginning to believe Lilith about how stubborn the Kindred could be.

*Well, no, she didn't. But* he continued when Taenne was about to interrupt him *Lilith has said plenty that gives me the distinct impression that she is not interested*

Another glance flickered between the cats. Why did they keep doing that? What in the name of Darkness were they thinking when they did it? Alex found himself caught between wanting to know and not wanting to. But in the end, they dropped the subject. For today.

Alex refocused on what was going on with the visitors who'd all come to see Lilith. They had missed her. Adored her. As much as it grated on his nerves to see other Princes and Warlord Princes so close to her, he couldn't deny that they all belonged to her in a way he was just starting to understand. How could she not see it for herself?

The nightmares.

*She doesn't want to know that they belong to her- does she?*

*No* Haedyn replied sadly. *Too afraid*

*If she wasn't, what would happen?*

*Become Queen of Ebon Askavi*

*She'd rule all of Kaeleer, wouldn't she*

Taenne gave him an amused look.

*Already rules Kaeleer*

Fair point. And a terrifying one.

If he thought the other Queens had been powerful, they were nothing compared to Lilith. Because she didn't just rule Kaeleer. She had Terreille, too. Or she would before long. It was too much for one person alone in his opinion. Dangerous- for them and for her. The cats seemed to pick up on the direction of his thoughts.

*Same Lady* Haedyn said.

*What?*

*Lady is same- not different when Queen*

*Power always changes someone* he countered.

*Not the Lady*

Alex wished he could be as certain. He'd seen what absolute power had done in Hayll over the last six hundred years. Granted, Lilith wasn't Meredith, but the lure to misuse that power might be too much. Even for her.

*I'll believe it when I see it*

Perhaps he should have thought that remark through before sending it. Right now, Haedyn and Taenne were his closest allies in SaDiablo Hall. He couldn't afford to piss them off. Not if he expected to face those Queens. Or Lilith.

Neither cat said anything at first. Eventually, Taenne answered him.

*Lady doesn't change- won't let her change*

*Who won't?*

The cat's eyes swept meaningfully over the group in the great hall, and then over the three of them. He said nothing more. Didn't have to. Alex had nothing to say, either, and turned back to the gathering. It looked as though they were headed upstairs to get settled. Alex couldn't bring himself to go out and join them. Not yet.

Somehow, Lilith managed to be the last to ascend. She turned slightly- just enough that he knew she was looking at his hiding spot. Of course she'd known the whole time he'd been there. What was she going to do?

*We're going to the sitting room for the rest of the evening. If this is too much, you should avoid the family wing of the Hall and I'll work something out with 'Nelle starting tomorrow* she sent on an Ebon-Black thread.

While not exactly friendly, Lilith's tone was worlds better than it had been since yesterday.

*Six at once is too many* he admitted honestly after a pause.

*I would agree*

*Will 'Nelle understand if I don't show up?*

*I'll see that she does, Prince*

With that, she severed the link and followed the others upstairs. Daemon Sadi, Surreal and Lucivar must not have noticed the exchange. They were talking amongst themselves. Shortly after that they were gone, too, leaving just him and the cats.

*What did the Lady say?* Taenne wanted to know.

*Pretty much what I already knew- there's no way I'm throwing myself into that group tonight. Unless I want someone to die*

*The Lady would not let that happen*

*She would do her best, no doubt, but it may not be enough to stop me*

They looked away suddenly, as if trying to avoid telling him something. Alex decided for today, he didn't want to know what it was. He'd already seen more than he was ready to handle.

*In any case, it looks like I've got a long evening ahead*

*Perfect time to train while the Lady is busy*

Alex resisted the urge to sigh. Though he was glad the cats didn't hate him, having them this interested in him was a mixed blessing. The Scelties might have been easier to deal with, if he had a choice. At least if he told them no, they didn't have him out matched by a thousand pounds of fury. So instead of arguing, he got up and followed the cats out of the room.

**5/Kaeleer**

'Nelle couldn't believe how many of their friends were here in the Hall. She'd only meant to invite a few this week. Just enough to give her little brother practice with real Queens. Not to mention to keep him away from Lilith for a while. Of course, that plan only worked if Alex actually showed up to meet everyone.

_Which he hadn't_, she thought with a frown.

*What's the matter?* Lilith asked on a private thread.

*I was hoping that my brother would be here*

*He can't, 'Nelle. Not all at once like this. It's asking too much of him*

*So sure he couldn't handle it, are you?*

*He told me* she said with a reluctant sigh.

_You actually spoke to one another?_ 'Nelle was beyond surprised. As far as she figured, Lilith had no intentions of talking to Alex in the near- or distant- future.

*Say what?*

*When we were downstairs*

*He was there the whole time, wasn't he?*

*I expect so. Smartest way to tell how he'd react*

*So he said he's not coming?*

*He's not coming. I'd recommend finding ways to introduce the Prince by degrees or things will get ugly, fast*

*You think he could kill one of them*

*No…well yes, he could…but I'll take care of that so long as no one does anything really stupid*

*And we'd consider what by 'really stupid'?*

*Anything that might be interpreted as an invitation- you know the kind I mean*

'Nelle certainly did. The kind of invitation she wondered if her friend may have made in Draega. Or perhaps Alex had made to her. But that look was getting into Lilith's eyes again, and 'Nelle thought better of asking about it. One of these days she'd wear her friend down. That day was not today.

*What are you going to do- keep constant watch over Alex when he's around the Queens?*

Judging by the look on her face, not so much.

*That won't be necessary* she said at last.

*Then how…*

*I'll figure it out. Best if you don't know the details, anyways. There's no sense in us both getting in trouble over it if your father finds out*

*You're right. I don't want to know*

With that, the subject was dropped, and 'Nelle turned her attention back to all of their friends. By now, everyone had dumped all their things in their suites, and was gathering in the sitting room. Unlikely anyone would be seeing those suites anytime soon. They'd never been all together like this before, and were going to make the most of it.

Charlotte plunked down into the chair next to 'Nelle and sighed heavily.

"That was a long journey, Sisters, and I'll have you know I don't intend to make the return trip anytime soon."

"Perfect. I don't mind one bit."

"Mmm…I can't say the same is true about your Papa. He seemed fair green with the idea we'd all be here in the Hall."

"He'll get used to the idea."

"I'll believe that when your uncle sleeps through a sunrise."

"So…never," Lukas quipped.

"Pretty much," Titian agreed.

Conversation paused for a minute or two before anyone was willing to ask the big question. 'Nelle tried to guess who it might be. Charlotte or Adrienne would be her first picks, being the most out-spoken. Maybe Maureen.

She was wrong, on all counts.

"Soooo…speaking of extended visits," Rordan began. "We all heard you just came back from three months in Hayll."

Lilith found a chair of her own, sitting cross-legged as she usually did. She brushed back a chunk of hair that had fallen over her face and gave a shrug.

"You heard right."

"Alone," he emphasized.

"Yes, alone."

'Nelle saw the boyos gearing up for an argument. None of them were happy to hear that answer. Jourdain was the first to voice that opinion, no surprise.

"You shouldn't have done that- not without taking an escort with you."

"And who would I risk?" Lilith shot back. "Meredith and her Queens are torturing and killing Blood males all over Hayll. Bringing one with me is far more dangerous for one of you than going alone is for me."

"We can handle ourselves," he argued stubbornly.

'Nelle was sorry that she had to agree with Lilith. Although it scared her to let her friend go into Draega alone, she understood the risks were far worse if she took anyone with her. Knowing Lilith, she'd be too distracted about keeping the boyos safe to get anything done. No, they had to stay here in Kaeleer.

"Prince," Lilith spoke warningly.

'Nelle heard it- that tone that crept in when she was about to lay down her decision and expected no one to argue with her about it.

"If they could chain the Ebon-Black, then I can only imagine what they would do to any one of you. I refuse to find out."

A hush fell over the room. Sufficiently stripped of his argument, Jourdain scowled at his boots. But the room wasn't quiet for long. Lilith's comment shifted the topic, now taken up by Heather.

"It's true, then," she prompted, fiddling with the end of her braid. "Daemon Sadi's son…you brought him back from Draega."

"Well I certainly wasn't going to leave the Prince there once I found him, was I?"

"No, I guess not. What were you doing in Meredith's court, anyway?"

"Taking care of unfinished business."

Heather and Charlotte exchanged an exasperated look.

"That's awful vague, you know."

"Deliberately so," Lilith replied cheerfully. She shook her head at them. "I really can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"Let me put it this way. When Lucivar comes back to the Hall to drill us in the mornings- and you _know_ he will- how do you want to spend them? Would you rather have an easier time of it? Or would you rather have a secret he'll push you to reveal?"

Neither Charlotte nor Heather looked too thrilled about that idea. Nor was anyone else. And having experienced three months of the latter had given 'Nelle an appreciation for those times when Lilith kept things to herself.

"So he doesn't know yet?"

"Nope."

'Nelle caught the hesitation and a flicker of doubt before Lilith answered. What had her friend said that made her uncertain, and to who? She bet it had something to do with the discussion she had with Papa in the study a few days ago. He must have cornered her into answering something about what she'd been up to.

"Yeah…I don't want to be next in line for that," Adrienne muttered. "So I'm going to pretend no one asked that question."

"That's what I was planning to do."

They were talking for some time when 'Nelle heard a knock at the door. It was Beale, ushering in trays from the kitchen. As everyone scrambled for the food, he stopped in front of her.

"Lady Jaenelle- this arrived by messenger this evening. From the Keep."

"Thank you, Beale," she said as she accepted the envelope.

He slipped out of the sitting room before half the snacks had been claimed. 'Nelle was far more interested in the mysterious message than she was about food. She turned it over and glanced at the seal.

Draca.

The Keep's Seneschal had sent her a message. Never had that happen before. Best to open it and find out what it was about. 'Nelle broke the seal and began to read. As she made her way through the letter, she kept glancing at Lilith. Likewise, her friend stared back. When she'd finished, 'Nelle folded the letter in her lap and tried to remain calm.

"Something wrong?" Katerin queried. "You look like you just got a terrible shock."

A lie was tempting. She wanted to ask Lilith about the things she'd read in private. But at the same time, 'Nelle felt the others deserved to hear it, too. The hell with it- she'd just ask.

"I did, actually." She rounded on her friend. "Is there some reason why Claudia would think you were murdered by Meredith's coven?"

At first, her friend said nothing. Everyone had stopped whatever they were doing- talking, eating…all forgotten while they waited for her reply.

"There might be," Lilith admitted at last. "Although I'm surprised to hear that she's aware of that detail."

"She said two Hayllian witches from Meredith's coven arrived in Dhemlan a few weeks ago, and she heard the story from them. One of them claims to have seen your mangled, bloody corpse."

_Among other things_, 'Nelle thought to herself. _But one step at a time._

"That would have been my Shadow. Obviously, I'm not dead."

"What the hell did you do to it? Claudia says the witch who described what she saw was practically in hysterics."

"I didn't do a damn thing to it," Lilith protested, gesturing at herself. "Although I offered to. But if you want to find out the details, you'd have to ask the Prince."

"_Alex_," 'Nelle gasped. "You told him to…"

"Convince Meredith I was dead," Lilith finished for her. "Think about it, 'Nelle. It was the best way to make sure she didn't come looking for me again. Sounds like he succeeded in my request."

Several of their friends were muttering prayers- or curses- under their breath. Teodaer was nodding slowly, though.

"It was a wise plan," he spoke up. "I would have suggested the same thing. Well, I would have suggested you not go in the first place," he amended. "But if you were dead set on going, that'd be one of my next ideas."

"Still…very gruesome, Lilith," Paresha said, making a face. "Did you stick around to watch?"

"Oh stop it," Heather pleaded. "Or I'm gonna barf."

"Claudia's more than a little distraught," 'Nelle pointed out, trying to get back on topic.

"I'll get her a Sceltie to apologize."

"I thought you were trying to improve her mood, not make her angrier."

With that, everyone started laughing. All part of Lilith's plan, of course. Just like that. Thwarted. Maureen was giving suggestions on what pick of her latest litter would make a good present. 'Nelle swallowed her annoyance and let the subject go. It'd have to be a private conversation after all.

*So how exactly do two witches from Meredith's coven get into Dhemlan Terreille and into Claudia's court?* Lilith sent on a Red distaff thread. *Does she say?*

*Oh yes, Lilith. Claudia had much to say*

Her friend weighed that reply and studied her intently before saying anything.

*I sense it's something you're going to want to discuss*

*You bet I do. I have questions of my own I want answered*

*All right, all right. When we can get a minute, we'll talk*

*I'll hold you to it*

Lilith broke the connection, and 'Nelle could sense her wariness. Good. She should be. When that minute came, there was one thing she wanted to know first. 'Nelle doubted her friend was going to like the question. But she had to know the truth. Because Claudia wrote that the witches told her Lilith had been heavily dosed with _safframate_, and then was left alone with Alex in his suite.

_Please don't let it be true_, she whispered to the Darkness. _Don't let it be true._


	35. Chapter 34: Flesh and Stone

_**Author's Note: So sorry for the delay in posting. Not only was this chapter really long, but spending time with guests shifted my focus away from this for an extra week. Hope this will be worth the wait.**_

**1/Kaeleer**

Lilith woke early, despite how late they'd gone to bed last night. Technically this morning. All in all, she'd gotten less than a handful of hours' sleep. Less than that if she accounted for the nightmares. They hadn't subsided yet; were getting worse, actually. And given the looks Haedyn and Taenne threw at her a moment ago, they had noticed something was bothering her.

_Smart enough not to say anything about it, though_, she warned inwardly.

Better that they didn't, or she might ask about where they'd been last night. As if she hadn't known. Lilith noticed they were conspicuously absent from the sitting room all evening. With a shake of her head, she took another sip of tea and tried to convince herself that she was awake. Today was going to be a long day. The first of many long days ahead.

A knock at her door interrupted Lilith's musings. She probed the hall and tried not to groan. 'Nelle. Might as well get this over with.

"Come in."

The door opened, and her friend slipped inside. She looked about as tired as Lilith felt. Calling in another cup, she poured out some tea and held it out invitingly.

"I know you usually prefer coffee, but this is all I have."

'Nelle collapsed into a chair at the small dining table and yawned.

"I'll take it, no matter what it is."

After she took a few swallows, Lilith dared ask her friend a question.

"Why are you up this early? Lucivar's not due back today, or so Titian promised us last night. There's no need to suffer like this."

"I could say the same for you," 'Nelle replied with a sharp look. "But I see you're awake."

"No sense letting myself get used to sleeping in."

The look on 'Nelle's face suggested she wasn't quite convinced, but continued with her own agenda in spite of that fact.

"Lilith, we need to talk about Alex."

"I agree."

"You do," the witch said, surprised.

"Six Queens is a lot for him to tolerate, so there needs to be a discussion how to make it easiest for the Prince to handle it."

A blink. Two. Then 'Nelle set down her cup and shook her head.

"That's not what I meant."

_Yeah I thought not_. Lilith was in no mood to discuss Claudia's letter right now, though. Ensuring Alex wouldn't obliterate the coven was her top priority today, and that was going to be enough to keep them both busy.

"'Nelle, we don't have time for the letter. Not today."

"I believe you said when we had a minute alone."

"Whatever Claudia said can wait."

"I disagree."

"Does it say things in Hayll are going to collapse tomorrow if I don't get back there?"

"Well, no…" her friend stumbled. "But…"

"Then it can wait."

The notorious SaDiablo stubbornness rose instantly, written all over 'Nelle's disgruntled frown. Lilith had dealt with Warlord Princes who didn't have half the stubbornness of the witch sitting across from her. But then 'Nelle did something uncharacteristic for her, and swallowed her argument.

"It will wait," she conceded quietly. "But not for long."

Lilith didn't miss the ominous warning beneath those words. Claudia's letter must have said more than that she'd been murdered to panic 'Nelle this much. How much more? She'd said the Hayllian witches had been from Meredith's court. If they'd been in one of her closer circles, they might have been in the audience room when Lilith had gotten caught. No telling what they may have said to Claudia about that.

_There's no help for it; I'll have to get that letter and find out what she told 'Nelle_.

As Lilith resigned herself to that plan, she continued to drink her tea. When it was gone, she set the empty cup back in its saucer and leaned back in her chair.

"So what do you propose we do about the Prince?"

A pause. 'Nelle cocked her head to the side and scrunched up her face.

"Why do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Since day one, it's been 'the Prince'. Mother Night, Lilith, you spent three months with my brother in Hayll. Why don't you call him Alex?"

Now that was a question she had hoped to avoid. 'Nelle was too clever not to have recognized that it was deliberate. And likely so had the rest of the SaDiablos. Lilith tried to play it off, anyway.

"It's no different from calling your father the High Lord," she pointed out. "I do that all the time and you don't find it strange."

"But that's different."

"No, it's not," Lilith argued defensively.

"You don't call the boyos 'Prince' or 'Warlord'- unless you're feeling annoyed with them."

"Then perhaps it's because he excels at it more than they do."

"No," 'Nelle said with a shake of her head. "No, I'm not buying that."

"Damn the Darkness- why not?"

"Because I know you."

"There's no deep, dark reason, 'Nelle. It's a personality quirk, so let's just leave it at that and focus, shall we?"

They both knew it was a lie. Hell's fire, Lilith needed to get out of the Hall. Every day she stayed saw one step closer to the whole thing coming unraveled. But it would be a week- or even two- before she'd get an opportunity to slip away. Too much time. 'Nelle would keep pushing at this until she had her answers. And those answers would tear everything apart.

Unless she forgot to ask them.

Lilith didn't like using Craft on her friend, but it was looking like the only way to save what was left of what had always been between them. First, she'd have to find out what 'Nelle knew. Once she had that, she could weave something to deal with it. If only there was another way.

She sighed.

"Please, 'Nelle, can we concentrate on one puzzle at a time?"

"If you insist," the witch replied stiffly.

"Wonderful," Lilith muttered, pretending to ignore her pique. "I think one on one would be best. And maybe starting with someone easy…"

"Meaning not Charlotte or Maureen."

"Or Adrienne, either. You read my mind."

"Some times it's easier than others."

"'Nelle…" she pleaded. "Please let it go."

**2/Kaeleer**

Well, that was a dead giveaway something was wrong. Lilith _never_ sounded desperate like that. About anything.

'Nelle studied her friend carefully. She looked tired- more than tired. A question to the cats would confirm it, but she was willing to bet Lilith had nightmares again last night. Were they nightmares of what happened to her in Draega? Was Alex in them? If only Lilith had let her ask about Claudia's letter.

_Maybe she won't because she knows what you're going to ask_, a voice whispered in her head. _What if her answer is what you've been dreading to hear? Maybe she's doing you a favor by setting that moment aside as long as she can._

'Nelle didn't know what to do. She wanted to help her friend, but she didn't know how to do it without making things worse with her brother. Ignoring a problem wasn't going to make it go away, so the longer it took to find out what really happened in Draega, the more damage it might do to Lilith in the meantime.

What she really needed was to talk this out with someone. Maybe then she could figure this out.

Usually, she'd go to her mother about stuff like this. But 'Nelle had a feeling this time she couldn't count on her to keep a confidence. Not about something like this. Her mother- not to mention Papa- were both very severe when it came to sex stuff. Especially bad sex stuff. So if Surreal even suspected something may have happened, 'Nelle knew she'd be hauled in front of her Papa to explain it. As would Lilith and Alex.

No, definitely not a good idea. It'd have to be someone else.

"'Nelle?"

She jumped, startled out of her thoughts. "What?"

"I'm asking you to let this all go. Please."

"All right," 'Nelle agreed reluctantly. "But I wish you'd talk to me."

"Later. There will be time later."

"That will have to do, I suppose. Anyway, I guess meeting Heather first would be the safest."

"You think she'd be willing to go for it?"

"Maybe. Couldn't hurt to ask." 'Nelle considered for a minute. "She'll want at least Gregory to be there, though. And I doubt he'd let her meet Alex without him even if she did agree to go alone."

"I wouldn't have it otherwise."

"Would it be just them?"

"As much as that sounds tempting…no. You and I better be there, too"

"When?"

"Hell if I know. I suppose it depends when the coven wakes up."

"I could peek in the dining room and see if anyone's in there."

Lilith tucked her feet under her and rested her chin on one hand, propped up by the arm of the chair. For a minute, she said nothing, just staring at the empty teapot.

"Lilith?"

She stirred, suddenly focused again.

"Apparently, we're not the only ones who seem ill-disposed to sleeping in. Heather and Gregory are exploring the gardens already."

"You can't be serious."

"You know Heather."

"Yeah…yeah I do. Which one are they in now?"

"Yours, actually."

'Nelle set down her cup and started to rise.

"I guess I can go break the news to her if you want."

"Actually…" Lilith hesitated. "I was hoping to be the one to do it."

"And you want me to broach the subject with Alex, I'm guessing. Am I right?"

"That you would be."

She didn't ask why her friend wanted to do it this way. She wanted to. Badly. But she didn't ask.

"Well, I suppose I can find out if he's a morning person or not, then," she replied drily.

With that, she headed for the door. Lilith followed with her eyes, but didn't move from the chair. A small smile played on her lips. 'Nelle noticed that it didn't quite reach her eyes, though.

"I wish you luck, either way, Sister."

"Why do I have the feeling you're going to owe me big for this?"

"Because it's probably true."

Well wasn't that just great? 'Nelle blew out a breath and crossed her arms.

"Just how grumpy do you expect him to be?"

Shadows in Lilith's eyes. There and gone.

"If he's not awake- don't wake him."

"Is that it? All the help you can give me?"

"'Fraid so."

"Well okay, then. I'll send you a message when I know what time to meet."

"Okay."

Nothing more to say, so 'Nelle left the suite and weighed her options about what to do with her brother. If he _was_ awake, she had no idea where to start looking for him. Doubtful that he'd be in the dining room this morning with all the Queens in the Hall. A psychic message would be the quickest way. But if he wasn't up yet…'Nelle didn't take Lilith's warning lightly.

Just as she started walking off to the sitting room, she heard padded footsteps behind her. 'Nelle turned on her heel to find Taenne in the hallway.

"What got you out of bed so early?"

*Know where to find the High Lord's cub*

Used to Kindred terms as she was, she still couldn't resist an inward chuckle. High Lord's cub indeed. Alex would never forgive her if she spread that around the Hall.

Focus. The cat was offering to help her.

"That would be great, since Lilith was hoping I'd find him."

*In the garden*

Her amusement fled as quickly as it had come. Alex in the garden. Possibly with Heather and Gregory. What could he be doing there? 'Nelle tried to stay calm. If Lilith had known something was wrong, she would have said so when she located them. And maybe Taenne didn't mean the same garden. After all, the Hall had several.

"Which garden?"

*Sad place with the stone people*

Papa's garden. An interesting choice. People rarely went in there, and usually not for very long. Even she found it somewhat uncomfortable at times.

'Nelle hadn't understood what was so different about that garden when she'd been young. But when she'd become an adult, her mother had explained it to her as best she could. About the Lady in the Misty Place, who'd once walked the Realm and ruled Kaeleer.

About Witch.

Jaenelle Angelline. She'd been the love of Daemon Sadi's life. When she died, the pain had nearly destroyed him. That pain lingered still in that garden. Oh yes, her mother told her everything.

Needless to say, she was surprised Alex had chosen to visit that garden.

"You're sure"

*Yes*

"Well I suppose I ought to find out what he's doing in there."

The cat rubbed against her leg and stalked away. Just before he was out of sight, Taenne turned back to stare at her.

*Is dangerous- not good to have so many Queens here*

"I know."

*Needed more training*

That explained where he and Haedyn disappeared off to all day yesterday. 'Nelle wished she had time to find out more about this 'training' her brother was getting, but she had to find him before the aura in the garden drove him out.

"I'll work it out for him- I promise."

*The Lady should help*

"Lilith?" 'Nelle asked in surprise at Taenne's tone. Was that…criticism? "She is helping. She sent me off to talk to him right now while she finds Heather."

*Needs the Lady*

"Did my brother say that?"

Taenne's tail twitched as he closed his eyes slowly. But the cat didn't answer. She waited a full minute, which was as long as she dared.

"Taenne?"

*Remember- needs the Lady*

And then he turned away. No explanation. Nothing.

_Well isn't that maddeningly unhelpful?_

Time was passing. 'Nelle restarted her journey, taking every shortcut she could think of to get her to the garden fast. When she finally got there, she took a deep breath and poked her head inside.

"Heya, is anyone here?"

"Depends who's asking," came a disgruntled reply.

"It's just me, I swear."

"Oh all right then."

Since that was as much an invitation as she was going to get, 'Nelle stepped down into the garden. At first she didn't see Alex anywhere. But then she spotted him near the male statue. 'Nelle sided up to him, keeping a respectful distance at the same time. With all the witches in the Hall, there was no telling his mood today.

Silence stretched between them, and a cursory look at him suggested he'd slept as poorly as Lilith had.

"I'm sorry," she offered in apology. It was the first thing that came to mind.

"What for?"

"I really had no idea they'd _all_ show up at once when I wrote to our friends. I guess I should have staggered the invitations."

"It's fine."

"No, it's not. Don't pretend to be nice or indifferent- or whatever is behind that fib you just told me."

"Excuse me, did you just say 'fib'?"

"Well, it sounded better than to say you lied."

Alex's look was pained. It reminded her of the look her cousins- Daemonar and Andulvar in particular- got on occasion. Several minutes went by before he could reply.

"Lilith tried to warn me, but I honestly didn't think there could be two witches who are so…" he trailed off, as if looking for the right adjective.

"Uniquely interesting?" 'Nelle supplied helpfully.

That one earned her a withering glare, and she stifled the impulse to snicker at him.

"I'll give you that, but it wasn't exactly the word I had in mind."

"Oh I don't doubt it."

"Remind me again why you came in here- if not to drive me crazy?"

"Well, aside from the apology that you just tried to shrug off, I'm here because Lilith and I thought maybe having you meet just one of our friends would be better than facing the whole coven."

Alex turned back to the statue, staring at it with a closed expression. That didn't go well at all.

"That is, only if you want to. If you don't, we can think of something to keep them out of your way for a few weeks."

"The Hall is a big place, 'Nelle, but that might be too great a task. Even for you."

"The only other option I've got is to pack you off to the Keep until they leave. But I don't like the idea of kicking you out of your own house."

He looked at her sideways, the tiniest crack of an amused smile played on his lips. Alex turned back to the statue. After a few minutes had gone by, he spoke.

"We'll try it the first way and see how that goes. Just how one on one were you thinking for this meeting?"

"We're not shoving the two of you into a room alone with the order 'be friends or else', if that's what worries you, brother."

She thought he might be trying to hold in what sounded like laughter, but couldn't be sure. If he wasn't, Alex sure did look like Papa when he was trying to do just that. With a cough, Alex managed to keep his composure.

"Um…thanks?"

"You're welcome," she beamed at him. "Anyway, we thought Heather would be a good choice. It'll be you, me, Heather and her brother. And Lilith."

"Lilith agreed to come?"

"You sound as surprised as I was when she told me."

**3/Kaeleer**

Alex was more than surprised. Despite their brief conversation last night, he really didn't expect Lilith to feel any need to intercede on his behalf with the Queens. At least not in person. It gave him some hope of repairing the damage he'd done the other day. Not much, but more than he'd had up to now.

"Yeah, well, after the past two days, I think I've a right to be." He cleared his throat. "So when were we all doing this?"

"Lilith was going to talk to Heather. I was going to send her a message about a possible time. So it's pretty much when you want."

He needed time. 'Nelle's visit had actually helped more than Alex expected, but he was still feeling too edgy to be around any of the Queens. Even if Lilith would be there.

"Say in an hour?" he suggested.

"Sounds good."

They stared at one another for a few minutes, and Alex wondered how he could tell her- politely- to go away. His sister must have caught on.

"Oh…sorry- should I go? You probably want me to go." She waved a hand at him. "So I think I'll go find Lilith and see how she's doing with Heather."

"'Nelle…"

She stopped him mid-sentence.

"It's absolutely no big deal. Really."

"Yeah, but…"

"Look, if you're determined to feel bad for kicking me out, I'll compromise with you."

Alex was immediately suspicious, and shifted to look at her directly.

"What sort of compromise?"

"Well, I was sort of wondering why the hell you were in this garden. Thought this might be a good way to weasel out an answer."

He hoped he didn't look as relieved as he felt.

"Oh. That's it?"

"What did you think I'd want?"

"Knowing how alike you and Lilith are…and having already experienced _her _idea of compromise…"

"Mhmm…perhaps I should change my question. I think that story might be more interesting."

Since he wasn't sure she was kidding, he did his best not to be upset with himself for planting that idea. He really did need to dust off those skills he'd honed in Draega. 'Nelle would pry everything out of him if he gave her opportunities like this. And that thought probably had something to do with the tone of his reply.

"I'd prefer that you didn't."

'Nelle's next breath came out as a little white puff in the suddenly chill air. She regarded him intently.

"Apparently Lilith isn't the only one who gets a temper when the subject of the two of you comes up," she commented tartly. "Don't worry, I won't touch that with a ten foot pole. But I do want an answer to the first question."

And he'd best answer it before she asked him anything else. He found his voice immediately.

"The cats brought me here. Said there was something here I needed to see and then disappeared."

"Odd behavior, even for them."

Alex shrugged.

"That's all the answer I'm going to get, huh?"

"That's all."

"Then I suppose I'm off. See you in an hour, brother."

"Here?"

"Oh hell no," 'Nelle said as she made a face. "Probably my garden or somewhere else. I'll send word when I find out for sure."

With that, she swept out of the garden and he was alone again with his thoughts. The solitude didn't last long.

Moments later, Alex felt eyes on him from the doorway. A quick glance revealed that Daemon Sadi had come looking for him. In the past few days, they hadn't really been alone. Alex could think of a few reasons why. He continued to study the statue and waited for Daemon to decide what he'd do.

Neither of them spoke or acknowledged one another until Daemon posed a question.

"I see you're interested in the statue- do you know what he represents, Prince?"

Alex thought on it for a while. Since he entered the garden, he'd been drawn to it. Half-human, half-feline; power and grace barely leashed. A vicious killer ready to destroy the enemy. But whose enemy? He'd not missed the sleeping woman at his feet, curled up in a show of trust and tenderness. Who would give either of those things to something so dangerous?

The puzzle of it all had bothered him all morning. He still didn't have an answer to it. Or Daemon's question, either. Well, he did. Alex just wasn't sure he wanted to admit the first thought that came to mind. Then again, he had to say _something_. He hoped it didn't sound half as stupid as he feared it would.

"He knows what it's like," Alex said finally, nodding towards the statue.

"What what is like," Daemon asked after a pause.

Doubt crept in, and Alex instantly regretted having said anything. He tried to back out of it.

"I don't know."

"Oh I think you do."

"It's nothing important."

"I hope for your sake, Boyo, you don't really think that."

Silence passed between them again. Alex got the impression that Daemon would say no more until he gave him an answer. So he tried to find the words that could describe what he felt when looking at the statue.

"It's like he knows me; like the sculptor pulled me out of myself and carved it in marble."

Damon said nothing for so long that Alex wished he'd let 'Nelle stay. Her nettling settled easier on his mind than the eerie calm of the man next to him. Or that opaque stare- a mirror of his own- now turned against him. Alex had no idea what thoughts were behind it. A foreign experience, aside from his experiences with Lilith.

"As I said- I really don't know," he admitted.

"You weren't wrong, actually."

"Beg pardon?"

"He's what we are- what lives in all of us Blood males. But especially Warlord Princes."

"You're serious."

"And somewhat surprised. I hadn't expected you to recognize him so quickly."

Daemon didn't elaborate why he'd been surprised. Alex decided to put it out there.

"Because I've lived in Draega."

"Yes," came his reluctant reply after a moment's hesitation. "Mostly for that reason."

"If I'd seen that statue in Hayll four months ago, I wouldn't have thought anything about it. Likely would have seen something else entirely."

The exactness of the timing wasn't lost on Daemon.

"Before you met Lilith."

Now it was Alex's turn to hesitate. After the comment Haedyn made yesterday, he was dead certain the cats weren't the only ones who knew what he really wanted from her. Once he answered the question, he suspected conversation would turn that direction. That was something he had been hoping to avoid a while longer. Not to be, it seemed.

"You could say that had something to do with it."

"The Lady does have some mysterious talents."

Awkward silence again. Mother Night, talking to the Arcerians was easier. It shouldn't be, making this all the more frustrating. The man next to him ought to have been someone he knew best. But he wasn't. Thanks to Meredith, his father was a stranger to him. When Alex didn't reply, Daemon tried again.

"I imagine it wasn't the easiest thing- meeting her the first time."

An understatement. Alex didn't dare take his eyes off the statue while he replied.

"No, it wasn't."

"I suppose it's hoping too much to think she didn't argue or order you around, isn't it?"

"Oh she did plenty of both."

He heard Daemon's audible sigh.

"I should have guessed she would. Lilith argues with everyone. Always such a stubborn little thing."

"Doesn't matter. She only did it when she was right. It's the only reason we made it out of there."

His look was both thoughtful and surprised as he considered that admission. Alex assumed he would prod more about why he thought that way, but was proved very wrong very quickly.

"And whose idea was it really to stay in Draega for another three months? Which side did the Lady argue then?"

Oh that was a question that Alex needed to answer carefully. Far more subtle than 'Nelle's head-on style, Daemon proved to be a daunting challenge if he hoped to keep secrets. Alex formed a plan to keep them well away from those.

"That was one argument I won." Well, not true. They hadn't actually argued about it. "If Lilith had her way, we would have been back to Kaeleer months ago."

"Would she have been right?"

He thought about the time spent in Tarine's district, learning what a real Blood community was like. The rift that decision caused was regrettable, but Alex thought the time had served him well before coming here.

"No, I don't think so."

Daemon considered his answer, and Alex thought he'd managed to steer away from anything too sensitive.

"You said you saw parts of Draega you'd never seen before. If you don't mind my asking, I'm curious where that was."

Damn. Alex did mind, if only that he didn't want to get Lilith into any more trouble. Not to mention give her a reason to be any angrier with him. And she would be if he said anything about Tarine. So what did he say? Daemon gave him a knowing smile and shook his head.

"Let me tell you where I think you went, Boyo. You were likely staying in one of the pockets in the city ruled by the Queens Lilith is helping- weren't you?"

"You know about them," Alex concluded.

"Indeed. Lady told me about them."

"I didn't think she wanted anyone to know."

"She didn't," Daemon agreed somewhat tersely. "I had a chat with someone else who knew about them, though, so that didn't leave her much choice."

"'Nelle."

"I wish it had been, but no."

"Who, then?"

Daemon's glance was sharp as he studied him. Instead of answering Alex's question, he supplied one of his own.

"I thought you and Lilith spent the three months together in Draega. Or am I mistaken?"

The way it was phrased, Alex knew better than to lie.

"Not always," he admitted. "She had things to see to in other districts of the city."

"And you didn't go with her."

"No."

"I see. Well, then I guess you weren't with her when she was in Lady Collette's territory. While she was there, the Queen had a Warlord executed."

"Executed? No, I would have remembered that. What'd he do?"

"Nearly raped a young witch. He tried to do the same thing in another district- a Queen by the name of-"

"Tarine," Alex finished in an uneasy whisper.

**4/Kaeleer**

Daemon was not altogether surprised that Alex had heard of Tarine. But the way he said her name, he knew the boyo had firsthand knowledge of what had happened to Warlord Henkel in her district.

"Sounds like you're familiar with that one."

"I stayed in her district most of the three months I was there," Alex replied with a shrug.

"And what do you know about the Warlord?"

"Caught him running away from the girl he'd attacked. Didn't know that's what he'd done at the time, but I knew something about him was off. It's common enough in Hayll to know a pet. Wasn't until we got back to the clearing that I knew what he'd been up to. The witch was barely older than a child," Alex snarled.

A fact Daemon knew all too well, but hadn't expected Alex to have been so upset by it. He was relieved that Meredith hadn't twisted him up so badly that he saw nothing wrong with what Henkel had done. If Alex had been, would Lilith have brought him to Kaeleer? Daemon wasn't sure she would have, and he didn't know if he'd have wanted him here.

_Can you blame him for something that wasn't his fault?_

Thankfully, he didn't have to face that moral dilemma.

"And you saw what Lady Tarine did next?"

"Yes, I did."

"Maybe you can explain it to me, then. I've never seen that brand before. What is it for?"

"It's a warning. The Queens Lilith helps all know that they need to take precautions against someone branded- witch or Warlord."

"What does the symbol mean?"

Alex shook his head.

"That I never found out. But so long as the person never did anything else to break the rules, nothing further happened to them. If they did…"

"They could face additional punishment- including an execution."

"That was my understanding. I'm not surprised Henkel tried again. He wasn't going to change."

"No," Daemon agreed. "He wasn't."

It was time to test the boyo's reaction to the other half of this story. If Lucivar was right, Alex was going to be furious when he heard it.

"He was raving against all witches when I saw him in Hell," he began. "Against Lilith in particular."

A chill crept into the air.

"Oh?"

"Seems he held her responsible for his execution, and foolishly demanded my help to 'make an example of her', as he put it."

The chill deepened, but his son said nothing. Daemon was almost positive that Lucivar had been right. Just the look on his face told him that Alex was teetering on an inner ledge.

"What did he want you to do," he asked at last in a tone Daemon recognized all too well.

"Before I answer that, Boyo, you should know that Lord Henkel is out of your reach. If you had any thoughts in that direction."

"Is he?"

_Tread carefully_, Daemon thought. _This is no time to see whether you can survive against the Ebon-Black._

"Yes. Lilith handed him over to me for a formal Execution, which I did. He's paid his debts to the Blood and it's done with."

A minute passed before Alex realized what he'd said. When he did, the anger flared again. But this time, it had shifted to a different direction.

"You said she handed him over."

"Well, she made sure I would find him."

"In Hell."

"Yes."

"The living aren't supposed to be in Hell."

"No, they're not."

"But she went, anyway."

"Yes."

"What kind of crazy death wish does she have," Alex snarled, his eyes focused on the figure of the sleeping witch at the foot of her protector. "Draega, Hell, that bitch Meredith…Warlords like Henkel and…" he hesitated.

"And?"

The expression on his face turned stony. Daemon was fairly certain who else was on that list that Alex didn't want to say.

"Is there someone else you had in mind?"

Alex continued to stare at the sleeping witch, and sighed.

"How do they do it- why do they?"

"Do what?"

"Trust something like that," Alex answered bitterly, nodding to the male. "What else is that but a death wish? One day…it would only take one day when something inside snaps and all that she thought was protecting her betrays her- destroys her. Why would any witch risk that?"

Not a question to be taken lightly. With his history and experiences in Meredith's court, Alex had good reason to fear that he was capable of unimaginable violence. Lilith had said as much when they'd spoken just the other day, although she hadn't been quite so worried about it. And because Daemon knew the potential there, he answered honestly.

"She trusts him because she knows he needs her to- that it's what balances him. Without it, he's a vicious killer without boundaries or ties to keep him from destruction."

"At the risk of her own, if that trust isn't enough."

"Is something going to happen, Boyo?"

Alex regarded him warily, unwilling to answer at first. He didn't b lame him; Daemon wouldn't have liked to have been cornered that way, either. But he had to know how close they were to disaster. Queens or not- he was still High Lord and could order the coven to go if he had to.

"I don't know," Alex replied quietly. "And that's the worst of it. Not knowing. I don't expect anyone to understand."

The opportunity was there. Daemon just had to take it. He took a breath and stepped through.

"I lived in Draega under Dorothea. She had me ringed just after my Birthright Ceremony and forced me to serve her coven bitches for 1800 years. As payback, I learned to do things the Blood of Terreille will likely never forget. Coming to Kaeleer, where I no longer needed those skills to survive day to day was a long adjustment. So believe me when I tell you, Alex- I _do_ understand."

He didn't press his son for his thoughts, letting him decide what he wanted to say. At last, Alex spoke.

"When I asked her why my family hadn't come to get me, Lilith mentioned- briefly- that you'd lived in Hayll once, and that you couldn't go back. She wouldn't tell me why, saying I'd have to ask myself when I got here."

_Clever witch_, Daemon thought. _She's managed to maneuver us both into having a conversation neither of us would have dared bring up on our own_.

"We'll talk on that in detail another time, I promise. Just not today."

Alex nodded before turning back to the statue.

"It is possible, though- even after a life like that. To learn how to be worthy of her trust."

Daemon considered how best to answer. He'd known Lilith for a long time now, and though lately it seemed there were things he didn't know about her, one thing he understood from the first day Jaenelle Saetien had brought her to the Hall.

"If Lilith has told you she trusts you, Boyo, she already believes you are worthy of it."

**5/Kaeleer**

'Nelle had gone off to find Alex, which meant Lilith had a few precious minutes to find out what was in Claudia's letter. She had a pretty good idea where her friend may have stashed it, and called in the blackwood box that usually sat atop 'Nelle's bureau. Taking care not to disturb any spells on the box, she sifted through its contents.

_There you are- stuffed under a letter from Charlotte._

Lilith snatched it up and began reading.

_Jaenelle- I'm afraid I have some terrible news to relay to you. News I wish I didn't have to send, but know I must. Our mutual friend, Raenel, has gotten herself into a bit of trouble, you see. Well, more than a little. But to explain that I should start at the beginning._

_ Over the past few days, I've been in contact with a few former members of Meredith's coven. I say former because they've begun a separate rebel movement in the wake of some upheavals in Hayll. Meredith's court in particular. They came to Dhemlan with orders to spy on us. Apparently, Meredith has it in her head that Raenel was a member of my court._

_ As it turns out, Lady Ettia and Lady Bethaeny want our help to overthrow Meredith so they can rebuild Hayll. The story they told was very interesting, and I'm convinced that they are telling the truth. Which is why I was certain that their information about Raenel wasn't a story._

Well, wasn't _that_ interesting to hear? When Lilith had been skulking around Meredith's court, she never would have pegged either of those two as rebels. Ettia especially. Something to keep in mind when she went back to Hayll. But for now, she was far more worried what they'd told Claudia, and kept on reading.

_ My dear 'Nelle, it's the worst. She's dead. I don't know how better to say it, and believe me, I've spent days trying to think of one. That bitch Meredith caught her stealing from the coven and had her murdered by her pet Warlords. Although the way Lady Ettia told it, that wasn't the plan. It seems Meredith isn't limiting her use of _safframate_ to just males anymore. 'Nelle, our Raenel was given two spoonfuls and handed over to a Warlord named Grael. His job was to break her and turn her over to Valinna when it was done._

_ The details after that are fuzzy at best. Neither of the witches knows what, if anything, Grael did with Raenel once they left the audience room. The last place anyone saw her alive- or at least _think_ they saw her alive- was in the suite of one of the most dangerous Warlord Princes in all of Terreille. 'Nelle I swear, if I'd had any idea Raenel would have crossed paths with _him_ I would have told you about Prince DeSade._

_ But since I didn't, I'll tell you now. As if it's going to make this any easier…_

_ The Prince has been Meredith's pet for centuries, always kept close to her coven. My envoys in Draega haven't been able to get near enough to give me a detailed description, but from what rumors I hear, he's a witch's dream…and her worst nightmare. There are many conflicting stories, but all of them depict a vicious butcher who delights in torturing and killing witches._

_ Meredith let that monster keep Raenel for three days before going back to check on her. Lady Ettia claims he was supposed to leave her alive, but he disobeyed. I asked her cousin, who had seen the inside of the suite, what she saw…'Nelle, I cannot and will not repeat the details to you. Lady Bethaeny was almost hysterical, and that should give you an idea what he did to our friend._

_ I wish I'd done more to stop her from going this last time. I knew how dangerous it would be, and that one day the Sapphire would fail her. Never wanted to be right, and I am so sorry to find out that I was. I'll never forgive myself for my role in her death, but rest assured that one day I'll find Meredith's pet and Prince DeSade will be made accountable for what he did to Raenel._

_ That's all I have to say. I send you my condolences and apologies, once again, to be the bearer of such news. Raenel will be greatly missed. – Claudia_

Mother Night and may the Darkness be merciful.

Lilith let the letter fall to her lap and squeezed her eyes shut. It was worse than she expected. Far, far worse.

She'd hoped the witches had related only the first part- at most. But they gave away just about everything. The _safframate_, Grael…Alex. The only thing it didn't come out and say was that they'd slept together. 'Nelle wouldn't need that to draw the conclusion, though. Her friend would figure she could deflect someone like Grael, given her Jewels. But that would leave only one link left in the chain of events of the evening.

_And she knows I'm not a virgin anymore- I'm sure of it now_.

Lilith put the letter back and returned the box to 'Nelle's room. She knew what she needed to do now, as much as she didn't want to. Sometime today she'd need to weave a tangled web to suppress 'Nelle's memory of that letter for a while. At least until she was ready to return to Terreille. That's when she would reveal what she'd done to the SaDiablos. Just before she said good-bye to Kaeleer- and to them.

She'd also have to sort this out with Claudia. The sooner the better, or she'd spend half her days blaming herself and the other vilifying Alex. Lilith couldn't have the Queen distracted that way if she hoped to have a strong ally in Dhemlan Terreille. Tarine and the others were going to need support when the war finally began.

Both of those things would have to come later. Right now, she was expected to talk Heather into meeting Alex. Better get some clothes on and get to it. Lilith unfolded herself from the chair and went in search of something to put on. Five minutes later, she walked out of her suite and headed towards 'Nelle's garden. Voices inside told her that Heather and Gregory were still there. Time to see how brave her Sister was feeling today.

**6/Kaeleer**

Of all the people Heather had expected to see this early, Lilith wasn't one of them. She was definitely not a morning person. But there she was, hovering at the garden doorway with a peculiar smile on her face. When she knew she'd been spotted, Lilith came over to where they were sitting on the bench.

"Making your visits to the Hall's gardens already?"

"'Nelle's done it up so well this year, I couldn't resist."

"And you," the witch said to Greg. "How'd you manage to get dragged out of bed so early?"

"She's a bully," he replied, jabbing a thumb in Heather's direction.

"Am not!"

"Are so."

"If that were so, I'm surprised Wellert is still in bed."

Her brother grinned. "We flipped a coin. He won. This time. Won't be so lucky next time."

"Luckier than he knows, perhaps," Lilith quipped.

Immediately, both of them straightened in attention. Heather decided to ask first.

"What's that mean?"

"Well, it's like this…"

"Here it comes," Greg mused. "She's going to get us in trouble and it's only our first day here."

"As I was _saying_…it likely wasn't lost on anyone that we were short a Warlord Prince last night."

"We weren't going to say anything, but yeah. We noticed 'Nelle's brother was absent."

"With the whole group together, it was just more than he- or 'Nelle and I- were prepared to deal with. So we thought today we'd start small. One Queen at a time…"

In the pause after Lilith finished, Heather put the pieces together. She furrowed her brows and fiddled with the end of her braid.

"Let me guess," she said finally. "The two of you want to test that theory out on me. Am I right?"

"We do. If you're willing."

"I notice you're not going to Charlotte or Adrienne first."

"Um…they're a bit too…intense…for the Prince. At least as a first try."

While they were talking, Greg had gone serious and very quiet. Obviously, he was thinking through what Lilith was and wasn't saying. He raised his gaze to her when he had made up his mind what he thought.

"No one's heard much about him so far, but my understanding is that he's lived in Draega all his life- in Meredith's court."

Lilith's good humor vanished. Where her eyes had been a warm gold just seconds ago, now they'd turned sharp and cold.

"Hardly his fault, Prince," she replied frostily. "He certainly didn't ask to be stolen from his cradle to become her plaything."

_Whoa_, Heather thought with a jolt. Lilith was known for having a temper sometimes, but she'd never seen it provoked so easily or so quickly. She sent a private message to her brother.

*Be careful, Greg. This seems to be a touchy issue*

*I didn't mean for it to sound like an accusation*

*Yeah, well, I guess it did, so you'd better set Lilith straight about it quick.*

*No kidding*

Her brother held up his hands in surrender.

"No, I didn't say that he did."

"So your point is?"

"She didn't make life easy for him. Especially when it comes to Queens, I imagine. I just want to know the danger you're asking my Queen to put herself in when she meets him."

The cold glare shifted slightly, clouding with sadness. Lilith sighed.

"Minus details, yes, you're right. The Prince is still learning how to see witches as something other than the enemy."

"And you said yesterday he wears the Ebon-Black."

"Yes."

"So what happens if he sees Heather as an enemy?"

"I'll distract him and you get out of there," she answered without hesitation. "Both of you. And take 'Nelle with you. Drag her out by the hair if you have to."

Heather exchanged a look with her brother. They both knew what Lilith meant by 'distract'. She would sacrifice herself so the rest of them could escape.

"But Lilith…"

"I can deal with the Prince."

"We can't let you do it," Greg tried to argue again.

"You have two options, Prince Gregory. You may choose not to go to this meeting, or you will obey my wishes should he turn cold."

Oh hell's fire, not that tone. Heather knew the argument was over as soon as she heard it. Greg heard it, too. He huffed once before asking a question.

"Does 'Nelle know about your plan?"

"More or less."

Her brother slumped on the bench and frowned. Several minutes passed as he shook his head and muttered.

"I don't like it, but it doesn't seem like I have much of a choice."

"Just the one I gave you."

"That one sucks."

"Tough."

Knowing he'd been beaten, Greg turned to her.

"So whatcha say, sis? You want to do this?"

Heather bit her lip and weighed her options.

*Lilith, tell me the truth- how likely is it that he'll go berserk and I'll get you killed?*

The barest of smiles ghosted across her friend's lips.

*I have no intention of dying today, Heather. I promise you that the Prince isn't going to make a liar out of me*

*Absolutely sure?*

*Cross my heart*

"We'll do it," she agreed aloud, despite the butterflies in her stomach.

"Excellent. Now I just have to find out from 'Nelle if the Prince is willing."

"Which he is," chimed in a voice from the doorway.

Lilith leaned against Heather's bench and turned around to see 'Nelle approach.

"Your timing is impeccable. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were lurking over there waiting for the opportune moment."

"Good thing you know better, then, because I wasn't."

"So it sounds like your brother is okay with this plan?" Heather asked.

'Nelle nodded.

"Alex was having one of his smarter moments this morning."

Greg looked horrified, and braced himself forward to see her better.

"You didn't say that to his face, did you?"

"Wouldn't put it past her," Lilith said half under her breath, but she was more amused than worried, and that made Heather feel a lot better.

"Nah. I'd already given him a hard time about some other stuff, so he deserved a break."

They all laughed at once. Even Lilith. When they'd all recovered, 'Nelle wiped her eyes on her sleeve and hiccupped.

"So…where do we want to do this? I was thinking maybe here…"

The laughter in Lilith's eyes died. Just that fast and it was gone. Heather felt a cold shiver run down her spine at the expression filling them now. It was even more chilling than the last one, and she didn't like to think that was possible. Her brother looked just as uneasy, and so did 'Nelle. But her friend understood something about that terrible look that they didn't. She bowed her head and shook it.

"Never mind. We'll go somewhere else."

Lilith said nothing.

"The music room ought to be deserted this time of day," 'Nelle offered.

"No chance of anyone distracting us there," Heather agreed, trying to help.

"A better choice than the sitting room or anyplace downstairs."

The tone of her voice worried her more than Lilith's expression did. What _was _that? It didn't sound like her at all.

*'Nelle…what the hell is wrong?* she sent privately.

*There was a disagreement between Lilith and Alex in here the other day. I should have known she wouldn't want to see him here and be reminded of it*

*Disagreement?*

*Don't ask*

*Was it that bad?*

*Really, don't ask*

Well, that was certainly ominous. Maybe she had more to worry about with Lilith than with 'Nelle's brother.

"Should we head up there?" Greg suggested, doing his best to ignore the undercurrents in the room.

"Alex said to give him an hour, but that was a while ago. So maybe that'd be a good idea."

Lilith was the first to move down the path, leaving the rest of them to follow.

"'Nelle," her brother whispered when she'd gone some distance. "She's been different since she came back from Hayll."

"A lot of things are different after this last time," her friend murmured to herself. "But she said she'd be okay, so there's nothing we can do but believe her."

After that, she said nothing more, no matter how Greg tried to draw her out. Heather listened to them with half an ear, but kept focused on Lilith in front of them. What could 'Nelle have meant? What had their friend been through in Hayll?

She hoped that 'Nelle was right, and that whatever was troubling Lilith would go away. She wasn't sure she knew how to deal with the strange looks and moods she'd just seen, and wanted things to get back to normal.

Whatever normal was for Lilith, anyway.

**7/Kaeleer**

Alex got the message from 'Nelle to meet in the music room, and after getting lost twice on his way to find it, he was determined to find out if anyone had a map of the Hall. How the housekeeping staff knew how to get around this place was beyond him. They must train for years.

But at last he reached the room he was looking for. Now he just needed to find the will to walk through the door. A Queen would be waiting for him on the other side of it. From what he could sense of the Jewels present, Heather's rank Jewels were Green. A Warlord Prince was with her. He hoped 'Nelle and Lilith knew what they were doing.

Alex opened the door and stepped inside.

Four heads turned in his direction. He already knew how his sister and Lilith would react to seeing him, so he focused on the young Queen and her brother. Heather's eyes went wide, and at first, Alex assumed it was nerves about his Jewels. But then she gave a whoop of laughter and shook her head.

"Oh we're so going to get back at Khamil and Teodaer. Greg, you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Definitely."

She turned back to Alex.

"They haven't seen you yet, right?"

Feeling a little out of step, Alex wasn't sure how to reply. He was sure the question was jus the thing Lucivar had warned him about that first morning. Whatever these two had planned it was going to be a headache. But before he could find some way out of it, 'Nelle answered for him.

"As a matter of fact, they haven't. And this time, you might get Papa to play along. He's still annoyed with them over that prank with Mrs. Beale, so this might be a good way to get back at them."

Slowly, Alex picked up what was going on. The cats had supplied him with information about 'Nelle and Lilith's coven last night. He recalled that Khamil and Teodaer were identical twin brothers of a Queen named Paresha. Twins who liked to switch places to fool other people. There'd only be one reason Heather would ask if they'd seen him yet.

Then his sister smiled at him.

"Thoughts, big brother? I'd say with a few illusion spells you could fool them into believing you're Papa and we could give those trouble-making jokers a good startle this afternoon."

_Run away_, Lucivar's words repeated themselves in his head. _You do not want to be made a part of whatever scheme they're planning._

"Let's keep things simple for starters," Lilith broke in suddenly. "Save the mischief for next week, when they've gotten comfortable around here."

"Oh come on, Lilith. You can't let an opportunity like this just pass by."

"Yes, you can."

'Nelle, Heather and Greg exchanged disappointed looks. It seemed Lilith had rescued him from being the star of whatever they wanted to do. Did he necessarily want to be rescued, though? Alex didn't want her to see him as incapable of dealing with his sister or their friends. There was only one way for him to feel he was on even ground with this group.

"I dunno," he countered thoughtfully. "Perhaps I'm curious to hear what they have in mind."

He slipped his hands in his trouser pockets and smiled. Lilith's expression gave nothing away. He couldn't tell if she was upset or what that he'd spoiled her efforts. As for the other three, their eyes went round as dinner plates.

"Have you…always done that," his sister managed to ask after a minute."

"Done what?"

'Nelle gestured at him head to toe.

"That."

Still clueless, Alex shrugged at her.

"Darling, I'm pretty sure I've been standing most of my life."

Lilith sighed.

"She means the hands in the pockets gesture. The High Lord does the exact same thing. 'Nelle wanted to know if it's natural, or if you're just showing off that you could play the part."

Curious, and slightly unnerving to find yet another similarity. Despite the separation of centuries and a whole Realm, so many parallels. What else did he have in common with the Warlord Prince Daemon Sadi?

"Well, which is it," 'Nelle asked at last.

"Recall what I told you at the Keep and you've have answered your own question."

_And what did you tell her, Lilith,_ Alex wondered. Whatever it was, it wasn't something she'd shared aloud.

"I feel like we're being rude," Heather spoke up suddenly. "You walk in and we don't even let you sit down before we launch into all this."

"That's really not…"

She tossed her braid over her shoulder and nudged her brother with an elbow.

"You agree, right?"

"If I don't, you're going to sic the Scelties on me, right?"

Heather offered him a smug grin, and Greg sighed.

"Okay, fine. We're being rude."

"Help me fix it, then."

As he watched the exchange, Alex got a pretty good idea the kind of witches he'd be meeting in the next few days. Although 'Nelle and Lilith were a level above any of the others when it came to unique personalities, they weren't in a league entirely by themselves. These others would have their own quirks and stubborn moments. He tried to forget that they'd introduced an easy one first.

But Greg seemed hardly bothered by the sass his sister gave him. They'd obviously danced this tune of teasing banter many times before. And if Alex read the situation right, were inviting him to join them. Nothing could have quite prepared him to be accepted so quickly- caste, Jewels and all.

No doubt somewhere lurked some level of apprehension about both- or at least the latter. But the Protocol learned in Kaeleer had given the Blood here something that allowed them to set that aside. Knowing that helped him relax somewhat. Enough that he approached the group and took a chair for himself.

Turning to Heather, Alex raised an eyebrow in silent query.

"What say I just fix the issue myself," he suggested. "Is this better, Lady Heather?"

"Much better," she replied with a smile. Then she craned her neck to look at Lilith.

"When you came to broker the idea of a meeting, you never said he knew how to be this fun."

Lilith was thoughtful for a moment, and Alex held his breath at what she might say.

"Despite the rumors, I do not profess to know everything," she answered at last.

Alex nearly sighed in relief. She'd gone for humor, thank the Darkness. Everyone chuckled, Heather the most amused.

"Well, I never thought I'd live to hear you admit it."

"Had I known how you'd gloat, maybe I should have waited a while longer."

"Oh I'm finished. And I think now's a good time to talk about how we're going to pull the best prank ever on Khamil and Teodaer. Yes?"

Lilith looked both bemused and resigned.

"I hope you all know what you're doing, but let's see how much trouble you want us all to get into."

With a quick glance at her brother, Heather leaned forward and rubbed her hands together.

"So this is my idea…" she began.


	36. Chapter 35: On the Knife's Edge

_**Author's Note: So after a long (yes I know, very long) hiatus, here we are back to the story. I took a break for the holidays, and then got side-tracked on another project. Thankfully, this chapter was just waiting for me to have time to draft and edit it. An advanced warning- this one earns the 'M' rating, so beware. Thanks for being patient!**_

**1/Terreille**

Screams echoed in the audience room, each one louder and more desperate than the last. No one dared look away as Kerral made another slice. This time, he chose the right ring finger. The knife slid under the bitch's fingernail and flayed it in one stroke, leaving exposed the snaketooth beneath it. Blood dribbled to the floor steadily, and the witch struggled in Thaesen's grip. No doubt the pain was excruciating.

Jaemie smiled.

"Now, where were we, Lady Daenor?" she asked once she'd silenced the screaming with Craft. "I believe you were explaining why you weren't recorded with the coven as a Black Widow. Do continue."

"I…" the witch whimpered. "I didn't know what the snaketooth meant, my Queen."

"Didn't you? I find that difficult to believe."

"It's the truth, I _swear_."

Jaemie glanced sharply at Kerral. He understood immediately, but waited for her command. Waited eagerly at that. Such an excellent pet the Warlord made, and for that reason she didn't make him wait long.

"Warlord, I need to know Lady Daenor is telling the truth."

Kerral's eyes glittered with malicious glee. It only added to his ugliness. But Jaemie hadn't picked him for this job because he was pretty. Why waste her nicer toys on anything other than bedroom work? They rarely had the temperament to do it properly, anyway. Kerral and Thaesen did.

The witch continued to strain against Thaesen, but her eyes were riveted on Kerral. The Warlord had traded his knife for another toy. Who knew if it even had a name, but that hardly mattered. He made a big show of letting the coven see it before attending to Lady Daenor. Jaemie was gratified to hear a muffled sob.

_As well you should_, she thought darkly. _Sneaking around in my district practicing Black Widow Craft without Valinna's sanction._

The sickening sound of bones crunching told her that her pet had begun his task in earnest. Of course, one almost couldn't hear it over the witch's agonized wailing. One finger at a time, he systematically broke every bone in her right hand. And while Jaemie would have enjoyed watching it, she was more interested in how the coven reacted to the demonstration.

Liara enjoyed the spectacle with an air of smug self-importance. Hardly surprising. After all, wasn't she the one who'd told Jaemie about the witch's secret? Could hardly contain herself long enough to get the message delivered. How better to get back at her rival?

Oh yes, Jaemie was well aware of Liara's motives for turning Daenor over to her. Apparently, the witch had been fond of using the same pleasure slaves. A petty reason to look for a way to destroy someone, really. Not that it changed the outcome at all. Far from it. Jaemie didn't care how traitors were discovered- just so long as they were delivered to her.

"Please, no," the witch begged as Kerral switched to the other hand. "I didn't know. _I didn't know_!"

Jaemie didn't heed the witch, still focused on the others. To her dismay, Elora looked positively bored with it all. Perhaps she'd need to think of something more intense for the next demonstration if these were becoming so routine.

Wouldn't want them to forget why she held them in the first place, or what they could face at any time. And from what Meredith had implied, any circumstances would do. Anyone was considered expendable to maintain their control of the city. That suited Jaemie just fine. She was just as content torturing witches as she had been torturing Blood males. They both screamed.

Her gaze fell upon Melanie. Judging by the witch's dismayed expression, she was more focused on the task awaiting her when this was over than the demonstration itself. Healers. If they didn't serve a purpose, Jaemie would be rid of them altogether. To her thinking, they wasted too much energy saving the most trivial things. Almost without a doubt, Melanie would probably try to rebuild Daenor's hand.

Why go through the trouble of maiming the bitch if a Healer would undo it later? She'd have to give Melanie clear instructions about what- if any- healing she was to perform. Definitely was _not_ to touch the right hand. Or maybe she'd assign that task to the Healer's cousin, Liara. Surely one Black Widow could explain what its loss would mean to another.

One good thing about Healers, though. They understood better than anyone the extent of injury and pain inflicted during these demonstrations. Jaemie never need concern herself that Melanie would challenge her rule. Even if she thought she could survive the pain- she _was _the coven's Healer. If she were hurt, then who would be left to take care of her injuries? No one.

No, Melanie would not ever be an issue.

That only left Frances as the remaining puzzle in the group. She was relatively new to the court, but her credentials had cleared. Maybe the witch hadn't seen much of court life before coming here, and that's why she was so…passive. Compared to the other witches, she wasn't as practiced when handling the males in residence, and seemed surprised by commonplace practices. Hell's fire, she hadn't even heard of _safframate_.

So of course she'd expected this demonstration to be the stuff of nightmares for the witch. But Frances was surprisingly calm. She wasn't quite as disinterested as Elora, but her expression was far less horrified than Jaemie had expected.

Very disappointing, since she'd hoped at least one of them would have been a _little_ unnerved. Disgusted, she decided to cut it shorter than planned. No need to waste her time if they weren't getting anything out of it.

Jaemie rose from her chair and approached the trio in the middle of the audience room. Kerral paused, eyeing her questioningly. He'd certainly expected to have much longer to play, and would likely pout all evening if she didn't give him something to occupy him. How fortunate for him that she had plans on that score. At least someone wouldn't be disappointed today.

Daenor was no longer struggling, and sagged heavily in Thaesen's hands. She was staring at the floor as her breaths came in shuddering gasps. Jaemie was careful not to step in the blood pooling at the witch's feet as she moved closer.

"Are you ready to tell me what I need to know?"

No response. Jaemie nodded at Kerral and pointed to the right hand.

"Once. Right there."

He obeyed, delivering a ruthless blow to the badly mutilated hand. The witch let out a breathless scream and jerked up.

"Now that I have your attention," she continued as if nothing happened. "What do you have to tell me, Lady Daenor?"

"I…I," she stuttered.

"Speak up, dear, or we could be at this all day. The sooner you tell me the truth the sooner we all get back to our normal lives."

"I…" tears sprang from her eyes and she bowed her head in defeat. "I knew what the snaketooth meant."

"See? Now none of us needed to go through that bloody business if you'd just said so from the beginning."

"Yes, my Queen."

Jaemie loved this next part most of all.

"Now tell me what you were plotting against the coven while you kept this secret from me."

"Oh but my Queen…I would never…"

Daenor was telling the truth. In fact, the only lie she'd given during the demonstration had been her confession a minute ago. But if Jaemie were interested in the truth, she wouldn't have arranged for any of this. Despite how naïve she was, Daenor should've known that much.

Annoyed that she didn't, Jaemie slapped the bitch. Hard. Enough that the palm of her hand burned like hot ash. She didn't mind, seeing blood drip from a split on Daenor's bottom lip.

"Never? You think I don't know what your kind is up to? What else would you be doing if not working with those scheming Dhemlans. Only a traitor and spy would hide her true caste from her Sisters."

"Noooo!" she wailed in despair. "I swear to you, I'm no spy!"

"Not a good one, I'll grant you. You got caught."

The witch was trembling violently now, all but hysterical. She tried appealing to the other witches in the coven.

"Please…you all know I'm no spy. Please assure her I'm telling the truth."

Stoic and silent, no one stepped forward to help her. As Jaemie knew no one would. She gestured to Kerral.

"Your Sisters don't seem to believe you, Lady. You see, none of them are willing to lie for your sake. Shall we hear your answer to the charges, or will I need the help of the Warlord again?"

Daenor shook her head, and several minutes passed in silence.

"We're waiting."

She was weeping uncontrollably, making it difficult to hear her answer when she finally gave one.

"I'm a spy for Dhemlan."

"Thank you, Lady Daenor. That's all I needed to hear." She turned her back to the witch and addressed the coven.

"You see a traitor before you, Sisters. One of our own, who plotted against us these months with our enemies. Let this be a lesson to you all that they can be anywhere. Not just back alley slums and the dark corners of taverns. But right here in our very midst. I swear to you all that I won't let the Dhemlans take what's ours- no matter who they send against us."

They cheered in approval; Jaemie expected no less from them. Without turning around, she gave a final command to her pets.

"I believe _we're_ finished with Lady Daenor, Warlords. I'm sure you will be sufficiently thorough in breaking her without the need of our supervision."

**2/Terreille**

Daenor struggled desperately against her captors, but she was no match for them in her condition. Frances could barely watch as they hauled her out of sight. Those two animals would use the witch in ways she never wanted to imagine. And whatever was left of her when they were done would go to work in the laundry or the kitchens. If anything was left of her at all.

It was evil.

_And yet I stood by and let it happen_, she admitted guiltily. _We all know Daenor was no spy, but we let Jaemie do this to save ourselves_.

Over the past few months, the court had become a dangerous palace. More dangerous than some of the places Frances had lived in before signing on with the Queen. At least out there she never worried that a witch she called 'Sister' would label her a traitor to settle some stupid grudge. Times like this, she wished she could go back to talk herself out of coming here.

But she was stuck in this coven with no way out and no way back. May the Darkness be merciful if she ever gave Liara or Elora a reason to turn on her. If they were willing to turn on Daenor so easily, she could be next.

"The bitch got off easy," Liara muttered as soon as they'd left the audience hall.

"I dunno if I'd call that easy," her cousin countered. "That hand will never set right again."

"It's a _hand_, cousin. The last spy was crisped to a cinder- and that was after Kerral had cut off most of her fingers, toes, and well…you saw the rest."

"I guess so."

"You know I'm right."

The debate would end as it always ended. Melanie would back down and agree to whatever her cousin thought. If not for Liara, Frances would consider testing the Healer's true thoughts about what the Queen was doing. She suspected the witch was more like minded to her than the others. But she couldn't risk that Liara would hear of what she thought. Frances had no wish to endure the same fate as Daenor.

In truth, she was appalled that they were so quick to dismiss what they'd just seen. Ridiculous, really, to argue whether it was worse to lose a hand or fingers- or to be burnt to death. None of them were willing to talk about what really scared them. And Frances bet without a doubt the rest of them were just as scared as she was. The only way they could tell themselves that they weren't was by ignoring the obvious.

Screams ripped through the hallway, and everyone's steps faltered. For a split-second, she saw reflected in their eyes the fear they were trying too hard to hide.

_Hard to pretend when the truth is ringing in your ears_, she admitted with an inward shudder.

Elora recovered first, and spun on her heel- away from the screams. Everyone else followed her lead, silent. It wasn't until they'd found a room isolated enough to muffle the sound that anyone ventured to say anything.

"Well, I'd say there's not much point in hanging around here all day. We might as well go down to the market quarter and browse the artisan goods."

"They never have anything worth buying," Liara complained.

"Yeah, but it's better than this. Or did you want to stare at each other in this room all day? Not to mention tonight," Melanie added glumly. "I doubt it'll be over before morning."

Elora smirked at the Healer. "If it's a diversion you're after, why not find one of the males? I doubt you'd hear anything if he's doing his job right."

Frances laughed along with the others because she knew she had to. But on the inside, she felt sick. How could Elora make jokes or even _think_ about sex when Daenor was…she couldn't finish the thought. How could Liara find them funny? Both of them were twisted and wrong, just like Jaemie.

_I wish someone out there could fix all this. If only someone was strong enough to fight whatever is wrong with Hayll._

Silly dreams. Frances had sent those thoughts out into the Darkness as long as she could remember and they never did any good. No one ever came.

"What do you think, Frances," Melanie asked.

The witch probably thought she was being generous to include her in their discussion, but she'd rather to have bene left alone. No such luck, so she'd better think of an answer quick. She prayed to the Darkness to forgive her for what she was about to suggest.

"If you ask me, the males we've got aren't much of a thrill lately. Going to the market quarter might give us a chance to spot a few that might prove to be better sport."

Elora and Liara were immediately sold on the idea, although neither of them wanted to admit it. They would brush her off initially just to remind her that she was not equal to them. If only their pride wouldn't let them consider the suggestion at all. Then she could have the satisfaction of saying the right thing without feeling responsible for the fate of whoever might suffer for it later.

Unlike most witches in the courts, Frances had never felt it fair to torture Blood males on account of their gender. She'd seen a fair share of them who deserved death- or worse. But that had more to do with what they did rather than having a penis. Of course, that opinion was one she kept closely guarded once she arrived in Jaemie's court. She'd learned to play the part without violating everything she believed personally.

"Like we'd actually find anything acceptable there, dear," Elora scoffed condescendingly. "As Liara said- the market never has any _goods_ worth anything."

"Besides, the better males are harder to come by ever since we lost the Rings."

"Don't even get me started on that."

"Did Jaemie ever explain what happened?"

"Not to me, cousin, that's for sure. You hear anything, Elora?"

"No. I told you before that I don't know what happened to them."

"Mother Night, I just asked a question.'

They all continued to bicker, leaving Frances to her own thoughts. In her opinion, she suspected that not even Jaemie knew what happened. One day the Rings had worked; the next, they didn't. Panic had run rampant in the days that followed, and a lot of the weaker coven members had died in the struggle to control the Blood males. Some of the stronger Warlords had escaped and no one had seen them since.

No one except her.

Frances had been running errands in the district one day when she'd run into one. She couldn't remember his name, but she knew his Jewels, and they outranked hers. The instant he recognized her, Frances thought she was as good as dead. But he'd only stared at her for a long while.

_"I remember you, Lady Frances. You're in that bitch Jaemie's coven."_

_ "Yes," she'd whispered as the basket in her hands trembled._

_ "You don't belong there," he'd told her. "You should get out."_

_ "I have nowhere to go."_

_ "Get out of there while you still can, Lady."_

And then he'd melted away into the shadows. She wished she'd taken his advice and just kept running that day. Maybe she could have gotten out of Draega. Out of Hayll. For all the rumors she'd heard about Dhemlan, maybe she would have been better off trying her luck there. Now it was too late.

"Anyway," Liara cut into her thoughts. "I've changed my mind. I could use the diversion in the market quarter. Who knows, maybe we could find something suitable."

Elora shrugged noncommittally. "Fine. It's not like I have anything better to do around here, anyway.'

"Come on, ladies, let's go hunting."

Suppressing a sigh, Frances tagged along behind the others. It seemed this miserable day would never end.

**3/Terreille**

Meredith played with her Warlord for most of the morning and afternoon. By then, the dose of _safframate_ had worn off and he wasn't going to be of any further use to her. Just as well. She needed to appease the crone and make progress on her grand plan.

_After dinner, that is, _Meredith thought with a slow grin. _I believe I have to see the cook about a special meal for two special witches._

Feeling considerably cheered by the prospect of entertainment, she threw open the doors of her wardrobe and fussed over what to wear. As she looked closer, though, nearly every gown showed signs of wear. A small rip here or a blemish on the fabric there. Just enough to be noticed.

Meredith couldn't remember the last time she'd bought something new. That would change today. If Valinna was going to have her way about Terreille, she was going to make a few demands of her own. Starting with an updated wardrobe.

A slinky gold dress caught her eye at last. It didn't look too terrible, so she grabbed it off the hanger and tugged it over her head. The elastic material fit her as tightly as a second skin. Maybe a little too tight. When she turned sideways in the mirror, her belly appeared slightly pudgy. That would never do.

In a temper, Meredith yanked off the dress and threw it aside. Her blue silk sheath might be better.

It wasn't.

No matter what gown she chose, some imperfection marred her figure. The best she could do was a deep purple wrap that she'd never really liked.

_And this is exactly why I need new clothes_, she grumbled to herself. _How can I be a Queen if I don't look the part?_

This would have to do for now. Meredith had to get to the kitchen before the servants began sending food up to the dining room. She shoved her feet into a pair of shoes, used a bit of craft to smooth away the worst stray wisps of hair. At least she didn't have to touch up her make up.

_I should have summoned my maid._

Too late for that. If she delayed any longer, her plans would be ruined. With one last look in the mirror, she created a sight shield for the trip to the kitchen. Added insurance that no one would discover what she was planning. Worked every time, just as it did now.

As she expected, dinner preparations were already underway when Meredith arrived in the kitchen. Several witches were bustling around doing who knew what. She called the head cook away from the hearth fire and pulled out the bottle of _safframate_.

"Before the meal is served, be sure a spoonful of this powder is added to two plates. Only two- do you understand me you addle-brained nag?"

The old witch merely nodded. Meredith tried not to be disgusted by the misshapen nose, sunken cheeks and shriveled lips. Or the twisted left arm. Mother Night was the woman ugly. If she wasn't the best cook in Draega, she'd be gone. But thankfully, she rarely crossed paths with her. Only at times like this.

"Those plates are special for Lady Maeren and Lady Danella. No one else is to eat from them, or I'll have your head over it."

The head cook nodded again. Satisfied, Meredith handed her the bottle and gave her one final instruction.

"And most importantly- so important your life depends on it- you are not to tell anyone about the powder or who it's meant for. Should I hear that anyone found out about it before the meal, I'll make you regret every miserable second of your life."

One final nod.

Meredith could not have been happier to escape that dank room. She recreated the sight shield and headed upstairs. Her plan was so close to unfolding; Meredith would do anything it took to ensure it wasn't spoiled.

_Besides, who knows what else I might stumble across if they don't know I'm here._

Sadly, nothing caught her interest the whole trip back to the main level. That would have been too much to ask for, Meredith supposed. Oh well, two witches would be enough entertainment for the evening. Meredith found an empty hallway to drop her sight shield.

When she entered the dining room, most of the coven had already arrived, Maeren and Danella included. Good. No need for a search that would give anyone a reason to be suspicious. The anticipation was almost too much to bear. Meredith was practically giddy with the knowledge that everything was turning out just as she planned.

_Valinna can have her grand plans to gloat over them all she wants, but they aren't half as satisfying as playing games with these coven bitches._

And speaking of the wrinkled windbag, Valinna was on her way over now. Meredith was in such a good mood that she almost didn't need to remind herself to smile. So help her if the Black Widow spoiled her mood before the entertainment, though. If anyone could, Valinna would find a way. She almost willed her to do it- just to see what would happen.

"You look in good spirits this evening. I trust that the rest of your morning went well?"

_Oh well, I suppose she's decided to play nice. Too bad I haven't. And I know the perfect thing to needle her._

"Naturally," Meredith purred as she slid by. "Lady Jaemie's latest gift was truly inspirational. I'd say the most invigorating aspect of my day."

Valinna dogged her steps, but made no comment. Oh she wanted to, as Meredith knew damn well. No doubt the same boring lecture that sex was a distraction they couldn't afford. Absurd. Maybe if the sour hag made use of the males herself she'd be less uptight.

Everyone sat down, and the staff brought in the dishes. She resisted the urge to keep an eye on Maeren and Danella. But she didn't want to miss the look on their faces, either. A quick glance showed her that neither had so much as picked up a fork yet.

They knew. Meredith was sure of it. That bitch cook must have said something. Everything was ruined, and she vowed they all would pay dearly. And then Maeren took the first fateful bite. Next to her, Danella did the same. The cook- not to mention everyone else- was spared her wrath.

The trap was sprung, and now she didn't bother to hide her scrutiny of the two witches. Idrina, sitting on her left, noticed first.

"Is something the matter, my Queen?"

"Not at all," Meredith replied, not even turning her head. "Everything is absolutely perfect."

Something in her tone must have alerted Maeren, who immediately looked to Meredith. With a smile, she saluted the witch with her wineglass. In seconds, the _safframate_ began to work. Maeren's face grew flushed as she dropped her fork with a horrendous clatter. Danella wasn't long behind her.

Meanwhile, the rest of the coven watched in silence.

"I believe you've discovered the extra ingredients on the menu," she announced cheerfully. "Feeling unwell, Ladies?"

"What," Maeren gasped, "have we done to earn your displeasure, my Queen?"

"See, that's precisely the problem, isn't it? During our brief meeting this morning I was sure you were up to something, and that's what I'm going to find out with a little help. I'm sure you know how _safframate_ works."

Danella was trembling already, awash as the intense reaction to the drug overwhelmed her rational mind. But Maeren hung on a while longer.

"My Queen, there's been a serious misunderstanding. Lady Danella and I were merely meeting our friends for breakfast. Nothing more."

"Hmmm…" Meredith replied. "So you said before. We'll see how long you can stick to that story over the next few days."

Her gaze flicked to Larkin and Othar- her latest replacements for Grael. Draega was never short of supply when it came to Blood males who wanted to hurt witches.

"Take them to the attic room and see they're taken care of properly."

They immediately understood her meaning, and eagerly hauled the witches away from the table. Meredith watched their struggles with vindictive delight, finding satisfaction in the spectacle.

*You go too far with this, Meredith* Valinna admonished shrilly over a Red distaff thread.

*Nonsense. These two are conspirators and they'll get what they deserve for it*

*Even if they are, this is not the way we discussed dealing with the coven. It's definitely not part of the plan we discussed this morning*

*So what? It's not like they matter*

*If you have them broken right now- in this way- you will _lose_ the support of every witch at this table*

*Oh please*

*_Look_ at them, Meredith. Look hard*

Just so she could shut her up, Meredith did as she said. Not one witch at the table was looking at Maeren and Danella- or their captors. Each one stared directly at her, expressions carefully blank. While she couldn't call it overt disapproval, their consensus was clear; the coven would not side with her on this.

Meredith cursed- first at them, and then at Valinna for being right. Why weren't they enjoying this as much as she was? None of them were going to be hurt by it, and who cared about nobodies like Maeren and Danella? For some reason, they did, though. Something she'd have to fix later, but in the meantime she was stuck.

*Fine* she snarled over their connection. *I'll change my plans*

*Best do it quickly*

She didn't like losing, especially in front of the coven. So Meredith had to find a way to pretend she hadn't lost. A change of mind, maybe. They'd believe her if they thought she had merely been playing a joke.

"Silly boys," she called out with a disdainful laugh.

Larkin and Othar hesitated at the door, waiting for her to continue.

"You actually thought I'd let you break two of my coven members?"

Anger flashed in their eyes, but neither of them said anything. Meredith was incensed that they dared show her any defiance after all she'd given them. She decided to remind them what life would be like when she withheld her generosity.

"Perhaps I should think of a punishment for the both of you as well. While I consider the matter, be quick to lock the ladies in the attic and return straight away."

Their fun spoiled, the Warlords pushed the witches roughly out of the room. Just as well. If she wasn't going to have any fun tonight, then neither were they.

As for the coven, none of them seemed to have moved or changed expression. The room radiated tension, as the food remained untouched. Well, they were all being ridiculous. Her mood grew blacker every passing second, and it was all their fault. Valinna and the others had managed to ruin what should have been a fine show.

Gradually, witches turned back to their meals, talking amongst themselves in low tones. She did her best to ignore them, her thoughts already focused on how long it would take to find suitable replacements. Then Larkin and Othar could have them all for all she cared.

**4/Terreille**

_I swear I'll strangle the bitch- Queen of Hayll be damned- if she ever does that again,_ Valinna seethed inwardly. _She nearly ruined everything._

Obviously, she needed to keep a closer eye on Meredith if she hoped to pull off the plan. The Queen's penchant for dosing the coven with _safframate_ for her amusement was one thing; handing them over to those pets of hers was another. She might as well incite the others to start a rebellion.

If that happened, Meredith wouldn't win. The Gray and the Red may be the darkest Jewels in Hayll, but if pushed too far, the others knew ways around that. They need only wait for the next moontime. Wasn't that how they'd destroyed other strong witches?

If she thought lecturing Meredith on that point would do any good, she would. But considering the past few days, Valinna decided not to waste her breath. She'd be better off planting spies around the Queen. At least then she could stop any future disturbances before they got this far.

One key question remained: who would be her spy?

It couldn't be anyone from the coven, or Meredith would notice. Not to mention, it would be too expensive to replace one of them if Meredith figured it out.

_I could try the staff_, she mused. _Hardly a brain among them, but they understand enough to obey an order. It's not like I need them to understand why I need the information. Quite frankly, all the better that they don't_.

She'd meet with them later. For now, she had other things to see to. Meredith wasn't going to make it easy, sulking like a child over a spoiled game. They were supposed to go over the first round of messages and select a Queen to send to one of the weaker districts. Valinna had decided to start with Lady Olivia, as reports from her court weren't as favorable as Jaemie or Julaene's were.

Unlike the Queen, who'd wasted the morning wallowing in bed like a bitch in heat, she'd spent the day on something more productive. The district directly under Meredith's control was home to several young Queens who would fit well for this assignment. By early afternoon, she'd picked Lady Nataline from among a short list of desirable candidates.

Now all she needed was Meredith's final approval to send her to Lady Olivia. It pained Valinna that she couldn't just see to it herself, but she still needed the backing of a Queen. Even if it was a token one.

At some point, she realized that the coven had all but disappeared from the table. Only Seren and Idrina remained, likely because they were seated closely enough that their departure would be noticed. Both seemed agitated, in any case. Valinna glanced at Meredith. Still scowling at her plate, ignoring everyone. She supposed she'd have to find out what they wanted.

"Sisters, was there something you needed?"

Idrina nudged Seren, who did her best not to look nervous.

"The others asked us to stay behind. To see the Warlords obeyed our Queen's command."

Hell's fire, they hadn't returned yet. How long had it been? The trip there and back shouldn't have taken more than ten minutes or so.

A fact not lost on the other witches in the coven, judging by the expression on Seren's face. None of them had been fooled by Meredith's game. They knew she'd fully intended to have Maeren and Danella broken. But since they'd forced her to rescind the command, the witches wanted to be sure the Queen hadn't changed her mind a second time.

_And they're letting us know it._

Valinna tried not to let her alarm show, and offered the witches a grim smile.

"Your diligence has been noted, Seren- Idrina. I will see to the matter personally." When they didn't move, she gestured to the door. "It's not necessary for you to wait for my return."

They left the table, albeit reluctantly. Not good. Not good at all. Valinna turned to Meredith.

"We're taking a walk up to the attic and if those Warlords have so much as laid a finger on either of those two witches, they are forfeit."

"They're _mine _and you can't tell me what to do with them," the Queen retorted.

"You'll do exactly what I say with them if you want to keep the coven from open rebellion," Valinna hissed back in absolute frustration. "Now let's go."

"Fine. But I still don't see why you think this is such a dire situation. So the coven won't approve. Replacing them will be inconvenient, but it's not like we haven't done it before."

_Yes, but that was a long time ago, when Hayll still had strong witches to choose from. Since then, we culled most of them and now no one is left if these witches desert us,_ Valinna argued silently.

But as she said none of those things aloud, Meredith continued to rant. The whole way to the attic, she talked of nothing else. The Queen honestly thought she could substitute any group of witches for the coven without issue. Mother Night, her naïveté would ruin them all.

No sign of either Larkin or Othar on the way, which only heightened Valinna's worry. By the time they'd gotten to the attic, she was ready to give up all hope to find the witches unmolested. But silence awaited them from behind the heavy wooden door. If the Warlords were inside, they ought to hear _something_. Valinna threw back the bolt lock and pushed her way inside.

Two witches. Nothing else in the room aside from the barest amenities. Once steadied by relief, Valinna studied the room's newest occupants. Lady Maeren and Lady Danella were already beyond coherent thought- eyes unfocused and trembling severely. She was struck by a sudden thought, and whirled around to Meredith.

"How much did they get," she demanded.

"Just a spoonful. They wouldn't have been much sport for Larkin and Othar if I'd given them any more than that."

Thank the Darkness. The witches could survive this, so long as no one interfered while the drug was still waxing. She still didn't know if Meredith had chosen them out of some imagined offense, or if maybe they were conspiring against them. But she would wait a few days before attempting any sort of interrogation. Better to be safe than to waste two witches they couldn't afford to lose just yet.

She retreated from the room and relocked the door, placing a Red lock and shield over it. Even if the Queen's pets held off their 'sport' tonight, she couldn't guarantee they wouldn't be back. Now, if anything _did_ happen to Maeren or Danella, the coven would know only one other person could have let the Warlords in. Valinna was fed up with protecting Meredith from herself. She'd have to explain it to them without her assistance this time.

Finished, she turned away from the door. Meredith was standing in the middle of the hallway, arms crossed as she huffed out a breath.

"You dragged us up here for nothing."

Unconcerned, Valinna waved a hand around them.

"Nothing? Then where are your pets now, Meredith? I notice they aren't here, but they didn't come back to the dining hall, either. So where are they?"

The bitch had no reply to that, and grumbled something under her breath.

"Well?"

"If you want to know so badly, I'll find out."

Meredith's eyes took on a distant look while she reached out to find Larkin and Othar. Seconds later, they darkened in rage and she snapped back to attention.

"Those ungrateful miscreants," she snarled. "They went straight to the servant quarters."

Valinna didn't need to ask what they were doing there. She only hoped whatever witches they'd selected weren't too high on the staff hierarchy. Or weren't ones she'd hoped to use as her spies. Yet again, she was convinced that Blood males were nothing but trouble.

"I'll shave both of them if they've damaged my personal maid beyond use!"

_And yet you were content to let them break witches from the coven before I'd even discovered if they were the scheming liars you suspected_.

"I'll let you deal with them," she said aloud. "Since I doubt you need my help with that."

"I think I can manage well enough."

Meredith was about to disappear down the stairs when Valinna reminded her of their unfinished business.

"Shall we reconvene in the green salon when you've finished?"

The Queen paused, one foot hovering over the top step. She looked both confused and wary.

"Why?"

"The letters for the District Queens, for one. But more importantly, I have a candidate for your review. She'd be our spy in Lady Olivia's court."

Meredith pursed her mouth, obviously impatient. Valinna merely waited.

"Yes, whatever. I suppose if you've found someone already, I can take a few minutes to provide my approval. So long as she meets my expectations."

With that, she was halfway down the stairs in a flurry of skirts. Valinna remained where she was until she was certain the Queen was well on her way to the servant quarters. No point in rushing to the green salon, as sorting out the situation would take her at least fifteen minutes. Maybe more, if anything had gone too wrong.

Good thing most of the coven seemed to be content playing least in sight for the rest of the evening. Meaning with any luck, the two of them could keep this lapse of control to themselves. Neither of them could afford any rumor that their authority in this court wasn't absolute.

It didn't matter that the Warlords had chosen to take their revenge on lowly serving witches. They'd acted without the Queen's orders, and should be disposed of- immediately. Sadly, Valinna doubted Meredith would do much of anything to Larkin or Othar. And that would send an unwelcome message to every witch in the coven. Yet another thing Meredith neglected to think about when she pulled stunts like this.

It would fall upon her to fix whatever mess came of this, she told herself as she headed downstairs. As if she didn't have enough to do already. But before she entered the salon, Valinna set those thoughts firmly aside.

Lady Nataline was waiting for her, as she'd requested.

"My apologies for the delay. An emergency arose and we were forced to deal with it."

"Is everything all right?"

"Nothing to worry," Valinna assured her. "Lady Meredith will be here shortly and we'll review your assignment."

"I'm happy to assist in any way I can."

The words sounded sincere enough. And given her accomplishments in the western edge of the district, the witch certainly had the right skills they needed to take control of Lady Olivia's district. Long overdue, since the Queen hadn't been doing much to hold onto it for herself.

The door flung open, and Meredith stormed in.

"Those two are damned lucky…" she began.

*Not here* Valinna sent urgently, hoping to interrupt the Queen's tirade before she said anything they'd regret later.

Meredith glared at her, but checked herself with a sharp smile when she saw Lady Nataline.

*I take it this is the witch you wanted me to see?*

*Yes*

*She doesn't look like much*

*That's precisely what I want Olivia to think when she sees her*

*All right, let's get on with this, then. Just remember- I'm the one making the decision here and not you*

Meaning she was going to make Valinna pay for interfering with Maeren and Danella. If that's the price she'd have to pay to keep the coven stable and get her way about this spy, she was willing to pay it.

*Yes, Meredith, of course*

Without preamble, she crossed the room and chose a chair. For some time, she ran calculating eyes over the witch, saying nothing. Lady Nataline looked nervous under her scrutiny, twisting her shawl between her hands. Eventually, Meredith deemed herself ready to begin the interview.

"Tell me, Lady, of yourself and your credentials. Why should I select _you_ over any other?"

"My name is Nataline, my Queen," the witch began carefully. "And I've been training here in your district for the past ten years. I wear the Yellow and Tiger-Eye.

"My skills have been focused on keeping an eye on the streets on the western edge of the district, reporting any issues to the members of your coven. I have enjoyed the opportunity, but would like to advance my skills in hopes of ruling a district of my own on day."

Meredith's gaze fell to the pendant around Lady Nataline's neck, and she gave her a pained smile.

"And how do you expect to control a district if you wear only the Yellow and Tiger-Eye?"

The young Queen refused to be intimidated.

"That is what I hope to learn by studying under one of the established Queens directly."

"Interesting. And what would you do if you noticed that this established Queen wasn't quite as…loyal…as she ought to be?"

"I would do the same as I've done here- report it to your coven," Lady Nataline replied without hesitation.

"Would you," Meredith queried doubtfully. "I'm afraid it's not quite the same to report a Sister in the coven than rogue Blood males. With your youth, I wonder if you might be swayed to their side instead."

"Never. My first loyalty is to you as Queen of Hayll."

"My, my, you are determined, aren't you? Let's say I do select you and you should discover one of your Sisters is conspiring with the Dhemlans, I caution you against reporting it to the coven. Something of that importance should be brought to the attention Valinna or myself."

"Yes, my Queen."

The questions went on for a short while longer, until Meredith appeared satisfied. She rose, and shrugged to Valinna as if the whole matter had bored her. Knowing her, it likely had.

"She's acceptable. I trust you've drafted the letter for Lady Olivia already?"

"Yes, it's right here." She called it in.

"Oh don't bother me to look at it. I'm sure you've drafted it as I specified. See that Lady Nataline is properly briefed with the details of her assignment and send her today."

Valinna gritted her teeth, knowing that she had no choice but to play this game for now. It had to look like Meredith was calling the shots. She merely nodded, watching the Queen exit the salon. Once she was gone, she turned back to the witch seated next to her.

"Now then, this is what you'll be expected to do once you're in Olivia's court…"

**5/Terreille**

She stared at the letter in shock, unable to believe that Meredith would do something this drastic. Olivia read it once more, hoping to find some other way of interpreting it. Nope, still the same bullshit.

_Does she really think I don't know what this is?_

Meredith had sent a potential replacement, and expected _her_ to train the upstart Queen to boot. Oh sure, the letter said that the witch was here as part of a new program to accelerate the training of junior Queens. But Olivia knew better. Lady Nataline was a back-up plan. If she did anything Meredith didn't like, she'd be replaced by that moon-eyed ninny in a fast minute.

She wanted to refuse the young Queen. Send her back to Meredith and her pet Black Widow, Valinna, with a letter of her own. That would be suicide, of course. Absolutely out of the question. Meredith wouldn't stop at replacing her; Olivia would be the next 'demonstration' the Queen needed to show everyone who ruled Hayll.

_So I guess I'm stuck with her_.

"Is everything all right, Lady Olivia?"

She studied her potential rival carefully. It was too soon to tell yet if the bitch were involved in Meredith's plot, or was merely another unwitting pawn. If Rachel were any decent Black Widow, she might be able to find out. But she wasn't. And even if she was, it'd still be risky to try it. So she'd just have to be pleasant to this nesting viper if she wanted to keep her district.

"Quite all right, Lady Nataline. I confess that I was surprised Lady Meredith would have sent you out this late. Parts of the city still aren't safe for a witch travelling alone."

"I thank you for your concern, but I'm sure I could have handled myself if I did come upon one of the rogues. I've dealt with plenty of them in Draega's central district."

Which meant the chit had seen only the tamest the city had to offer, and understood nothing of what it meant to live beyond the safety of Meredith's own district. Out here, encountering Blood males who out ranked witches was far more common. And they despised anyone associated with Meredith. Attitudes like Lady Nataline's could get her killed very quickly. And as much as that might solve her problem in the immediate sense, Olivia didn't want to explain to Meredith and Valinna why her protégé wasn't sufficiently protected.

"The central district is different from living in one of the peripherals, Lady. I advise that until you've had a chance to understand better, you leave the residence only with an escort."

"You're not serious."

"I'm very serious. With this letter from Hayll's Queen, your safety has been entrusted to my care. I would be remiss in my duties if I didn't take these necessary precautions."

"I see," the witch said, obviously disappointed.

"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll adjust in no time. In the meantime, why don't I introduce you to the senior members of my court?"

Olivia called to the others on a general psychic thread, summoning them to her audience room. She doubted any of them would be glad to have this Queen underfoot, but might as well get the introductions over with. Everyone sent back a reply that they'd arrive shortly.

Everyone except Desre.

*Do we have to meet now* the Healer whined. *I was just about to retire to my suite for the night*

_No doubt with a Blood male, and that's why you're so put out_, Olivia thought sourly.

*Now, Desre. Your plans can wait an hour*

The witch had the sense not to comment further, but she did break their link rather rudely. Why couldn't Meredith have sent her a new Healer? That girl was a constant problem, and a Summer-sky Jewel couldn't make up for it.

Ysette arrived first, likely because she'd been hovering nearby. The witch was nice enough- always trying to be helpful- but she wasn't much of an asset to the coven. Her Jewels were so light that the simplest Craft was a drain. Olivia had offered her a contract as a favor to the girl's parents. They lived next to hers, so she'd really not had much of a choice.

Rachel and Allina scuttled into the room next. From the look of the latter, she'd been down in the kitchens. Allina's Jewels might not be much darker than Ysette's, but her skills as a Hearth witch had been a welcome addition.

She'd gotten the witch as part of a deal she'd made with her sister, Rachel, who'd been assigned to her court as a Black Widow. Now that was one bargain that Olivia didn't regret. In truth, Allina's skills added more value than Rachel's. The Black Widow had only partial training in Valinna's circle, and what little training she got there didn't seem to stick with her.

_I'm the district of misfits. A place for every witch Meredith doesn't want, but wasn't enough of a nuisance to have killed. She's never forgiven me for the loss of her favorite protégé_.

Making the offer to train an inexperienced Queen even more suspicious. If she was wrong, and the girl wasn't a replacement, then Olivia had to wonder what was wrong with Lady Nataline to have her sent here instead of to Jaemie or Julaene.

She was about to remind Desre they were waiting when the Healer rushed through the door. Olivia passed a sharp look over her, but the witch ignored it. Typical.

"Now that we're all here, I'd like to introduce you all to Lady Nataline."

Greetings were exchanged in lukewarm tones. If her court wasn't thrilled with the Queen, she wasn't all that impressed by them, either. Olivia pretended not to notice and continued.

"Queen Meredith selected our court as the first to host an outreach program designed to teach younger Queens about ruling a district. The idea is to fast-track their readiness to take on a district of their own."

She paused just enough to be sure she had all of their attention for this next part.

"I'll be looking to all of you for your assistance during Lady Natalie's stay."

"Great, more work," Desre muttered. "As if we weren't busy enough."

In the past, she might have ignored a comment like that. Okay, she absolutely would have ignored it. Life was so much easier that way. But now that she had this Queen watching, Olivia knew she had to address things like this. She drew herself up in her seat and fixed a steely glare at the Healer.

"If you feel your duties are too demanding for you to accommodate this request, you can explain your reasons to Meredith. _Personally_."

"Me- go there over something so trivial," the witch scoffed lightly. "Why can't you just say something?"

"I'm not the one who seems to have an issue helping one of our Sisters," Olivia pointed out, well aware that she'd just blatant lied.

"Yeah, but…."

"No buts. Either you cut the attitude, or you're on your way to Meredith's court tonight."

"Tonight?"

"Yes. Tonight."

Desre swallowed whatever argument she may have planned to make, sufficiently subdued by that final threat. Unlike Lady Natalie, the witches in Olivia's coven knew the dangers lurking out there all too well. She waited for a few minutes before pressing the issue.

"Well," she prompted.

"There's no need to send me to the Queen," Desre replied, her tone dolorous.

"Excellent, then I look forward to your cooperation with Lady Natalie's training."

"Yes, of course."

"Does anyone else wish to voice an opinion?"

Heads shook vigorously. Thank the Darkness it had only taken one threat to make them compliant. As for Lady Nataline, she looked thoughtful. Olivia wished she knew what the witch had gleaned from the exchange. Hopefully, she'd focused on how dissent was handled and not on the surprised faces of Desre and the others that she _had_ bothered to handle it. Mother Night, things were already complicated and the witch had only been here an hour.

"Olivia," Allina spoke up tentatively.

"What?''

"Has the Lady been given a room yet?"

Trust a Hearth witch to think of such mundane things at a time like this. But she was sadly grateful for it.

"I don't believe so."

"I'll contact Ginger to ready a room. What about the one on the second floor facing south?"

"That sounds fine."

Honestly, she had no idea what room Allina was talking about, but she supposed she ought to pretend that she did for appearance's sake. Personally, she found it silly that a Queen need be bothered about things like room arrangements and how many blankets were laid out on the beds. Why did she have a Hearth witch or a servant staff if she was expected to make those decisions herself?

Olivia had more pressing issues that took most of her attention. They could well manage this on their own. And had been doing as much until Lady Nataline showed up. Desre wasn't the only one who'd be annoyed by extra work before this was over.

"It doesn't have much of a view," the witch told the young Queen, "but the room is large and it's adjoining a private bathroom. I hope that's to your liking, Lady."

"Sounds good to me, Lady Allina."

They shared a brief, friendly smile. At least someone in the coven had managed to make a decent impression on the Queen. Sad that it was only a Hearth witch. Olivia would have preferred Lady Nataline take an interest in someone more important.

_First you have to _have _witches of any importance to be noticed_, she mused wryly. _And Meredith has ensured none of those ends up here._

"Well, if you'll see to the Lady and get her settled in for the night, I think we should all adjourn for the evening. Tomorrow is early enough to begin anything else."

"Meeting at breakfast?" Rachel asked.

"Nine-thirty. I expect you all to be there."

Even Desre nodded without an argument. Olivia didn't deceive herself that she and Rachel were likely complaining about her the minute they were out of earshot. Just so long as word of it didn't reach Lady Nataline, she'd let it go

_Might as well call it a night myself. Tomorrow is going to be a looong day._


	37. Chapter 36: Small Battles, High Stakes

_**Okay, wow...this chapter turned out way longer than I expected. It was way overdue, though, and I didn't think anyone wanted me to split it apart and wait another three or four chapters to find out how it was going to shake out. So here it is...all of it.**_

**1/Terreille**

After last night, Ettia wasn't sure whether Bethaeny would be in her room or not. But it was well past eight and she'd seen no sign of her cousin. She decided the fastest way would be using a psychic thread. If she was lucky she wouldn't be interrupting anything.

*Bethaeny- you up?*

No answer. Reluctantly, Ettia tried again.

*I know it's early, but I think we're expected in the meeting room at nine and…*

*I'm not going* Bethaeny's reply cut her short.

*What do you mean you're not going? We're going back to Draega, need I might remind you. So you're coming to this meeting*

*I'm not feeling well. You can manage without me*

Oh _hell _no. That was not happening. She was not going by herself just so Bethaeny could enjoy a few extra hours with Shaede. And that's just what she was going to tell her cousin, too.

*We're here to do something important, remember? You accused me of wasting our opportunity here just a few days ago. Now you want to do the same thing just because that Warlord dropped his pants?*

*Ettia, please. It's not like that at all. I really don't feel well*

Something in the tone of her reply struck Ettia as peculiar. Her cousin certainly didn't sound like herself. Definitely didn't sound like a witch who'd spent the night in the throes of ecstasy, either. So she checked her temper before she made an assumption that she might regret later.

*Where are you?* she asked.

*My room*

*Alone?*

Again, no answer.

*Did you hear me? I asked…*

*Yes, I'm alone, Ettia. Can we please drop it?*

Now Ettia was worried. Bethaeny sounded near tears in that last message. Just what the hell had happened last night?

_If Shaede damaged her in any way, I will rip him apart_, she vowed. _I knew I shouldn't have let her go with him._

Standing here wasn't going to get her any answers, though. If she was going to get to the bottom of what upset her cousin, they should talk in person. With a sigh, Ettia crossed the suite to knock on Bethaeny's door.

"Go away."

"I don't think so, cousin. If you're so sick, I want to see for myself."

"I told you, no one is in here."

"Prove it."

"Ettia…"

"I can wait all day."

She heard movement from within. Finally, the lock clicked and her cousin cracked opened the door. Fat lot of good that did her; Ettia could barely see more than a sliver inside.

"I wouldn't lie, you know."

"Then what is the big deal?"

"I just need to be alone, okay?"

"Fine," she answered after a moment to think. "I'll leave you alone for the morning-"

"Thank you," Bethaeny interrupted her as she quickly pulled the door closed again.

Ettia anticipated that move and stuck her foot in the opening. She tried not to wince as her foot was pinched between it and the frame. That was going to leave a mark, no question. But she ignored the pain to finish her sentence.

"-after you let me in."

Her cousin muttered something intelligible.

The door opened again, wide enough to allow Ettia to slip inside. As expected, the place was a disaster. Even for Bethaeny. This wasn't the time for another argument about personal habits, so she ignored the disaster littering every available surface. Instead, she studied her cousin.

Bethaeny's face was blotchy; her eyes and nose were puffy and red. Combined with a roughened voice this morning, one might believe she'd caught a cold. But Ettia knew her cousin better, and thought of a more likely reason. Immediately, her temper flared back to life. This time for a different reason altogether.

"What did that bastard do to you," she demanded angrily.

Bethaeny's eyes widened, but not in surprise. She drew the woolen wrapper close around her and sniffed.

"Nothing."

"Wouldn't lie, huh? I suggest you try again, then."

"Really, Ettia. He didn't…do anything."

That answer could be interpreted a few different ways. A lie to cover for the Warlord? Or maybe the truth, albeit not an obvious one. Ettia narrowed her eyes and considered which one Bethaeny might have meant. In the end, she opted for truth.

"Why not?"

"What?"

"Don't be stupid. You came back alone last night after Willem and I left, didn't you?"

"So what?"

"So I want to know what happened, since whatever it was upset you enough to cry over it all night." Bethaeny didn't deny it, so she continued. "Not only that, now you're skipping out on meetings I _know_ you want to attend."

"I really don't want to talk about it," her cousin replied tearfully as she turned away.

"Tough."

"Ettia, it's between me and…" she paused before continuing shakily. "…Shaede."

_Like hell it is, cousin_, Ettia said to herself. _I don't care if I have to pry it out of you one bit at a time, but you're going to tell me what that prick said to you._

But how did she do that? Bethaeny looked fiercely determined, despite her emotional state. And without sufficient motivation, getting answers would take forever. Then suddenly, inspiration struck. Ettia knew what might loosen her cousin's tongue.

"Either you can explain it to me, or I'll take my concerns to Lady Claudia and you'll have to explain it to _her_ instead."

That threat achieved the desired effect. Bethaeny spun around, shaking her head in horror and disbelief.

"You wouldn't- Ettia, you can't do that!"

"I can and I will if that's what it takes. Now, are you going to start talking or should I start walking?"

Her cousin chewed her bottom lip a minute, obviously thinking. Ettia merely waited. At last, she dipped her head in capitulation.

"All right, we'll talk. Have a seat, then."

Clothes draped over both available chairs, and Ettia forced herself not to comment. They didn't have time to waste this morning. So she kept silent and moved the clothes aside. Bethaeny seemed not to notice the state of her chair and collapsed right on top of several cast off blouses. Minutes passed before she said anything.

"After you guys left, the whole thing became very real very fast. That's when I realized that the life I've had up to now didn't really prepare me for spending a night with someone like Shaede."

"What does that mean?"

"Well, at first, I just thought about how we never learned about…I mean, what did we ever know about pleasing _them_? Not a damn thing."

A deep blush stained the rest of Bethaeny's already red face. Ettia felt her cheeks warm a little at the thought of it, too. Her cousin wasn't wrong. Neither of them really knew anything about that aspect of sex. So she supposed it might be a little awkward to bring up.

But that didn't seem enough to warrant how upset Bethaeny was now. At least not without some additional information. Bravely, she forged ahead to find out what that might be.

"So what did he have to say about that?"

"Nothing."

"He didn't say anything?"

"No, I never got that far. Because while I was trying to think of a way to bring it up, it dawned on me that I needed to talk to him about something more important."

"Which was?"

"I couldn't go through with it until I told him about Hayll, and…Meredith's court."

"Meaning…"

"Meaning I told him about using the Rings and _safframate_, and that I…that I've…" she couldn't finish, covering her face with her hands.

Ettia knew exactly what Bethaeny was unable to say, although she hadn't expected it. She'd never seen her cousin as being the same as the others in Meredith's coven. The witch was too…nice…to really fit in with the rest of them. But apparently, Bethaeny saw herself differently.

"Cousin, of anyone in the coven, trust me, you were far from the worst."

"But I still _did_ all that stuff. Before we lost the Rings and had to think about what we'd been doing to them- I did those things."

"We all did."

Her cousin nodded. "And that's what I had to tell him. He had to know what I was."

"I'm guessing Lord Shaede was not as understanding as you'd hoped he'd be," Ettia prompted.

"No," Bethaeny replied brokenly. "He wasn't."

Suddenly, she was feeling very fortunate that Willem _had_ been understanding when she'd voiced her own fears to him yesterday. Ettia wasn't sure she would have cried if he'd turned his back on her, but she was certain it would have been painful to hear. And they were just friends. Her eyes blazed with fury when she imagined how much more she'd have been hurt if they were more than friends- or trying to be. Like Bethaeny with Shaede.

"I see."

Her cousin must have read her expression, and shook her head.

"I don't blame him for being angry. I should have told him from the beginning. It was wrong to pretend to be something I wasn't."

"That has to be one of the most idiotic…" Ettia stopped short and sucked in a calming breath. "You haven't _pretended_ to be anything, Bethaeny."

"Yes I did. I've been saying all along that I want to fix Hayll and make it a place like Dhemlan. But I've never once admitted the things I did to help Meredith destroy it."

She flung herself down on the armrest and bawled noisily. Nothing Ettia could say at this point was going to help her. Before they'd left Draega, she might have just let this go- chalk it up to Bethaeny overreacting when a man rejected her.

But since her conversation with Willem yesterday, Ettia was beginning to see things a little differently. Her cousin truly cared about that Warlord- for some reason she couldn't fathom. Beside the point. What matter was that at the first sign that she might not be as perfect as he dreamed she'd be, he'd broken her heart.

That was _not_ okay.

"I'll take care of things, Bethaeny," Ettia promised as she stood.

Her cousin looked up, eyes filled with tears.

"What?"

"You stay here and try to pull yourself together. I'll go to this morning's meeting and deal with everything."

"Don't say anything to Shaede. Please don't. I just want it all to be over. We're leaving soon, anyway, so there's no point in stirring up trouble."

She paused at the doorway as if considering Bethaeny's plea.

"I won't talk to Shaede about this, if that's what you want."

"That's what I want."

"I won't, then."

"Thank you, Ettia. I promise, I'll be fine by this afternoon."

Ettia merely nodded in grim determination, and then left their suite. She was absolutely furious.

_Don't talk to Shaede, you say? Fine. I don't have to talk to _him_ to deal with this. But I won't stand by and do nothing, cousin. Not this time. Mark my words._

Still fuming, she marched into the meeting room and grabbed a chair furthest from Lord Shaede as she could manage. If she was going to keep her promise, she'd have to keep away from him. Far away. Fortunately, he seemed to be in agreement with her plans, refusing to even look in her direction. The prick actually had the nerve to be upset with _her_? Then the hell with him.

Willem seemed to be the only one confused. He looked first to her, then to Shaede, and back again. Ettia thought he'd ask what their issue was, but then Prince Vaerill and Kholt arrived. They began talking almost immediately, and the opportunity was lost. Ettia listened to their advice, asking questions where she needed clarification. The whole time, she envisioned shooting arrows at an invisible target in place of Lord Shaede's head.

"You'll need a way to network with the other witches in Draega- the ones serving in other courts," Vaerill instructed as they neared the end.

"You mean witches in Lady Jaemie and Lady Julaene's courts?"

"Not just them. You'll need to find ways to get into the courts of Queens Lady Raenel was helping, too."

Over the last day and a half, she'd heard plenty of interesting things about those places. Vaerill claimed that they had been following the same Protocol as Dhemlan for the past twenty years or more. Fully established courts and everything. How Meredith didn't know about them, Ettia wasn't certain.

One thing they didn't tell her much of, though. Ettia had asked a few times about the names and locations of those courts. Neither Master of the Guard nor Steward had an answer. Might as well try again, and maybe she'd get lucky.

"And you still can't tell me which districts she helped or the names of those Queens?"

"She was always careful to avoid names. But two of them are somewhere near Lady Jaemie's court. That's the best I can do," he replied regretfully.

It would have to be enough, although the Darkness knew how she was going to find them with so little to go on. As Ettia tried not to let her doubts show, she saw Shaede's dark expression. Almost as if he resented that Vaerill had told her anything. The Warlord didn't dare voice his opinion, but anyone looking at him would see it plain as day.

_So now we're not good enough to deserve any help,_ she seethed inwardly. _I pray you and I never see each other alone again, Warlord, or I may say to hell with my promise to Bethaeny._

Brushing those thoughts aside, she returned a game smile to the Queen's Master of the Guard.

"We'll take what help we can, Prince. It's more than what we've had the past few months."

He nodded and continued the discussion, showing her ways to develop a web of communication without alerting Meredith or Valinna. The first half would be easy, but Ettia worried about that last part. How were they ever going to keep all this secret? Prince Vaerill assured her that the techniques he spoke of had worked for others, though. She had to believe they'd work again.

The sun cast long shadows across the table by the time the meeting closed. Only then did their advisors comment on her cousin's absence.

"Forgive our oversight, Lady Ettia- we were wondering where your cousin was this morning."

"She was feeling unwell," she replied in clipped tones. "And asked me to come alone rather than cancel the meeting."

They exchanged a brief, questioning look. Ettia worried that they might see through her white lie and press her further. But they didn't, thank the Darkness.

"I hope she's well enough later today," Prince Kholt said. "Our Queen told us that you would be leaving soon, and it may be our last opportunity to discuss any last-minute ideas."

"I hope so, too, Prince."

"Please convey our best wishes on her recovery."

"I'll do that."

The meeting adjourned shortly after that. The Princes left first, followed closely by Lord Shaede. He and Willem seemed to have a bit of a disagreement at the door before he stalked out of the room. That left only the two of them behind, exactly as she'd anticipated.

Ettia made no move to leave, and walked over to the courtyard window instead. She stared out over the gardens and lawn, trying to maintain a sense of calm. Willem joined her moments later, leaning against the window frame while gazing at the discussion table.

"Care to fill me in on why everyone is so angry today, Lady Ettia?"

At first, she said nothing. Couldn't. If she answered him now- feeling the way she did- she'd explode. It wouldn't be right; she wasn't angry with Willem. But as the seconds ticked by, Ettia reconsidered. Maybe she was. When she finally felt in control enough to answer, the words held more than a slight chill.

"You promised she'd be safe with him," Ettia reminded him, her voice deadly soft. "On your honor. You lied to me, Prince."

A moment ago, Willem had been merely grim; now thunderous rage swept over his features. She didn't care if he was upset with her. Not when he had a chance to prevent this and didn't take it. But out of the corner of her eye she saw something mixed into that rage. Fear.

"I warned him to be careful," Willem swore. "I _told_ him that he was taking a risk and he'd better be sure of what he was doing."

He ran a hand through his hair and glanced sideways at her.

"How bad is it? I hope…" he cut short and began again. "Please tell me he didn't break Bethaeny."

Unmoved by his show of concern, Ettia focused her anger in another direction. She pushed away from the window and headed to the door.

"Only her heart, Prince," she remarked nastily over her shoulder. "But don't worry, her Jewels are _just fine_."

He caught her just as she'd reached the hallway, hand gripping her arm firmly. With the other, he held the door closed.

"Hold on, Ettia. Just wait a damned minute and talk to me."

"I don't feel much like talking right now. Your _friend_ labeled my cousin a monster just because she's not some perfect Dhemlan witch who's never done anything wrong in her life. Never mind that she regrets doing any of those things and didn't have a choice at the time. Talk to me? You go talk to _him_!"

With that, she wrenched her arm out of his grasp and stormed out of the room. She needed to go find some place where she could thing. Somewhere far away from anyone male.

**2/Terreille**

Bethaeny hoped just this once, Ettia would do as she asked. She just wanted to survive the next few days with as little humiliation as possible. Then they'd go back to Draega and she'd never have to see Shaede again. She sniffed once, and used her sleeve to dry her eyes.

_I should really straighten things up in here_, she mused dully. _At least it would be something productive to do._

Before she could get up, a knock interrupted her thoughts. Bethaeny frowned, wondering if Ettia were back already. She had no idea how long she'd been crying, so the meeting might already be over. Maybe her cousin would relate what they'd gone over this morning. That could help take her mind off Shaede.

Definitely preferable to facing the mess in here, so she wouldn't argue about her coming in this time.

"It's open," she called out hoarsely.

To her surprise, it wasn't Ettia who entered the room. Instead, Willem edged his way inside. Horrified that he'd seen her- not to mention the room- in this state, she scrambled to her feet.

"Prince…I, uh…" She couldn't think of a damned thing to say.

"You're fine, Lady," he assured her. "I didn't come here to upset you."

Or comment on her lack of organization, it seemed. Willem hardly noticed the room at all.

"Please, sit."

Bethaeny sank back to the cushion and cleared her throat.

"Why _did_ you come here?" She was afraid to find out.

"You missed this morning's meeting. Ettia said you weren't feeling well and I wanted to see that you were all right."

"Oh."

"Your cousin was right to be concerned, from what I can see."

"Yeah, I suppose I look a bit of a mess," Bethaeny agreed with a weak laugh. She plucked at the sleeves of her wrap and sniffed loudly. "It all hit me so suddenly. And this morning I wasn't any better, so I just asked Ettia to…"

She trailed off as his expression shifted. Oh she wasn't going to like this at all.

"Bethaeny, there's no need to keep up the pretense. I know why you weren't there today."

_Dammit, Ettia, you promised._

"I'm sick," she repeated stubbornly. If she kept saying it, maybe it would become the truth.

Willem crossed the room and settled in the chair across from her. He believed her about as much as she did. Bethaeny sighed.

"What did my cousin tell you," she asked finally.

"Ettia didn't _tell_ me much of anything. But she did mention something about Lord Shaede acting like a jerk when she was _yelling_ at me."

"Yelled at you? Ettia?"

"You heard me right. Yelled."

Bethaeny couldn't picture her cousin yelling at anyone over something that happened to her. Sure, she got angry all the time back in Draega. But usually Ettia was yelling _at_ her, not _about_ her. As upset as she was that she'd told him when Bethaeny had asked her not to, she couldn't help being touched that her cousin cared that much.

Willem interrupted her thoughts with a question.

"So, Bethaeny, was he a jerk?"

She shrugged, unwilling to answer. It was one thing to talk to Ettia about what happened. She couldn't bring herself to do the same with him. After all, he was Shaede's friend. How could she tell Willem what he'd said?

"Bethaeny? Please, I really need to know what happened."

"Why?"

"Because I'm worried about you."

Oh hell, now she was going to start crying again. Bethaeny dropped her gaze to her lap, hoping Willem didn't notice.

"Don't be," she murmured softly.

"Beg pardon?"

"I said don't be," Bethaeny repeated a little more loudly. "I don't deserve it."

"Why not?"

"You shouldn't waste your time on a witch who's used Rings and _safframate. _Much less one who has participated in games you don't want to imagine- all to belong to a coven that's doing its best to destroy what's left of Hayll. I had this coming."

The silence in her room was absolute.

She figured Willem left, but didn't dare look up. That had been her mistake last night with Shaede and she wasn't likely to make it again. As the minutes passed, a tear leaked out, followed by another. They soaked into the sleeve of her wrap, turning the material a darker shade of green.

A hand closed over hers, and another lifted her chin. The urge to squeeze her eyes closed was tempting, but Bethaeny was too late. She and Willem were practically nose to nose, and she had nowhere to hide.

His expression was serious, but she didn't see the revulsion or hatred she'd expected. Nothing like the way Shaede had looked at her. Willem brushed her tears away gently with his thumb.

"Bethaeny, listen to me," he said at last. "You are not a monster."

"How can you say that after you just heard…"

"You made mistakes. We all make them. That doesn't make you a monster."

"A mistake is calling someone by the wrong name or taking a wrong turn on the way to the market. _Torturing_ somebody isn't a mistake."

"Consider it a wrong turn on the way to becoming the witch you're meant to be. You got lost for a while, Bethaeny, but you found yourself again. That's all."

His forgiveness and acceptance was too much to take in. Tears fell in earnest now, and Bethaeny broke eye contact to draw in a watery breath. It came back out as a sob. Then another. Willem put his arms around her and let her cry.

So she did. Cried for the years where she'd been 'lost' as he'd said, and for the men who'd been every 'wrong turn' on that dark journey.

Eventually the emotional stormed passed. Bethaeny took a last shuddering breath, and shifted. Willem let her go. His eyes never left her face as she sat back in her seat, making her acutely aware that she probably looked absolutely awful. Since her sleeve was the closest thing, Bethaeny used it to mop up her face as best she could. He was still watching her.

_Now what?_

"Thank you," was all she could think to say.

"No need for thanks, Bethaeny. I meant every word."

"I know."

Her thoughts drifted to last night. How she wished Shaede would have reacted this way. Even if he couldn't have come this far to accepting her past, Bethaeny would have settled for anything kinder than what he'd had to say about her. She thought she knew him; Shaede had seemed liked a caring person. Never would she have believed he could be that cruel.

Willem must have guessed the direction of her thoughts.

"He's young yet," he offered gently. "I'm not excusing whatever Shaede said to you last night. And I'm not asking you to tell me what that was, either. But despite his years, the boy hasn't had much experience and he doesn't always react well when he gets overwhelmed."

She wanted to say that she hadn't been prepared to deal with the direction their conversation had taken last night, either. But that wouldn't change anything, and just sounded petulant and childish. Something she would have said half a year ago.

"I wish I hadn't had to tell him," Bethaeny said instead. "But he had to know. I couldn't live with myself if we'd…" she blushed "…and I didn't say something."

He looked sad and shook his head.

"I'm sorry it turned out so badly, Bethaeny. You did the right thing, though."

"I know. For once I did the right thing."

He stood and dusted himself off. Bethaeny wondered what his peculiar expression could mean.

"So will you be joining us this afternoon? I think Vaerill is more than ready to be cross-examined by someone other than Ettia."

"No…I can't. He'll be there and I just don't think I could…" Bethaeny shook her head. "No, I can't."

"It won't be so bad, I promise."

"I can't. Please, Willem, don't make me endure that look again."

Another strange emotion played in his eyes. He didn't ask her to explain what she'd said, thankfully.

"Okay, okay," he soothed. "I don't want to make you do anything you can't do."

"I'm sorry. I know I should be tougher like Ettia, but I'm not."

"Don't sell yourself short, Bethaeny. You're tougher than you give yourself credit for."

She couldn't answer him, afraid that she might cry again. Willem bowed slightly.

"I'm afraid I must leave you, my Lady. But try to keep your spirits up, and maybe I'll be able to look in on you later today."

"Thank you for the visit, Prince…and for what you said."

He nodded grimly, and then he was gone.

Bethaeny didn't move or do much of anything for some time. She sat in the chair, thinking about what Willem had said. And what Shaede had said. Gradually, she began to realize how angry she was about the way Shaede had treated her.

It hadn't been at all fair. One minute, he'd been all talk about how wonderful she was, and telling her that she was better than Meredith or the rest of her coven. Even when she'd tried to explain her doubts to her. And then when she finally managed to tell him what life was like in Hayll, he'd immediately changed his attitude. She'd been vulnerable- opening up to him in a way she never had to anyone before in her life- and he'd crushed her. Vilified her without any attempt to hear her side.

Maybe Willem was right, and he was young and that's why Shaede was capable of changing his mind so fast. But he'd deliberately hurt her feelings. Bethaeny wouldn't ever forget him calling her a hypocrite, or any of the other hateful things he'd said to her.

_Maybe I'm lucky this happened before we slept together,_ she thought.

As badly as her heart hurt now, Bethaeny was certain it was nothing compared to how she would feel if he'd said those things after going to bed with him. It would have been shattered into tiny pieces, and she wasn't sure she could have put them back together again.

Only blind luck had saved her that pain this time. What would save her next time? Until she brought up her past, she'd had no idea how cruel Shaede could be under that friendly mask. Bethaeny didn't want to start out every friendship with a litany of her past sins.

_Am I so certain it's worth all that to put myself through a 'next time'? What if I choose wrong again?_

**3/Terreille**

Now he understood why Ettia had been so angry. If anyone had made Caroline feel the way Shaede had made Bethaeny feel…he would have been yelling, too. Didn't matter that his younger sister was twice Bethaeny's age and was perfectly capable of running her own life. No- he would done more than just yell at the Warlord who dared crush her feelings for no good reason.

As it was, Willem was still furious. Even after years of training, the Warlord didn't understand what Hayllians faced. And because he didn't- or wouldn't- take the time to understand, he'd acted like a complete ass towards Bethaeny.

_I should have ordered him to keep away from her_, he thought with a sigh. _I knew he wasn't equipped to deal with Bethaeny's past. _

Obviously, neither witch had an easy time living in Hayll. Hell's fire, they were sucked into Meredith's court. Since they'd arrived in Amdarh, Willem had only seen the briefest of glimpses of what that must be like, and what scars that leaves on a witch. Ettia had only begun shedding light on them yesterday. And now he'd heard an equally troubling account from Bethaeny.

In the past two days, Willem had seen more pain than he had in a very long time. Despite working with the Hayllian refugees on a daily basis, it wasn't the same as dealing with these two. The refugees were usually escaping persecution and oppression. A few might have seen torture. Nothing like the twisted games Ettia and Bethaeny endured.

Or, as both of them had pointed out, had been expected to participate in them.

Perhaps the closest he saw to them in the Hayllian quarter were the Blood males. He'd heard their horrifying stories of life in the covens loyal to Meredith. Even seen their scars- physical and emotional. Willem understood what Ettia and Bethaeny had done to survive.

Now they were finally coming to terms- shining a mirror on some of their darkest moments. Not many witches could face it, or would even try. The last thing they needed was someone else telling them how wrong they'd been. Bethaeny certainly hadn't deserved the emotional beating Shaede had given her.

Speaking of his errant junior guardsman…Willem caught sight of him in the common room. From the look of him, he was brooding. He had things to explain to the young Warlord. But not in this place. A quick glance told him several large groups were socializing not too far away. Willem wasn't about to feed any gossip in court by delivering a lecture in front of them.

That didn't mean he couldn't start with a lesson in humiliation.

Without so much as a word, Willem strode over to him, grabbed Shaede by the collar, and hauled him out of his seat. The Warlord tried to resist and failed miserably. All eyes turned towards them as he dragged the boyo out of the room. The whole time, Shaede protested loudly that he hadn't done anything. Willem ignored him.

When they reached his private office, he shoved the man inside and slammed the door behind them. Shaede glared at him, livid.

"What in the name of Hell was _that_ for!?"

"You know what it was for."

"Damned sure that I don't."

"Bethaeny," Willem replied succinctly.

The moment he said her name, the boyo's face hardened into an ugly mask of contempt. Shaede crossed his arms and flung himself into a chair. Typical temper tantrum, and something Willem had seen him do many times before. No doubt he'd be just as difficult to shake out of it this time, too.

"Conniving, lying little bitch," he sneered. "What? Is she pouting that she didn't get her way?"

Rage thrummed through him, and Willem barely kept it leashed. But the room developed a definite chill.

"How _dare_ you. She didn't ask you to notice her or coerce you into inviting her to your bed. Until yesterday, she didn't even realize you had any interest in her. And the second she tries to be honest with you about her past, you condemned her for it without any attempt to understand."

Shaede tried to stand, but Willem shoved him back into the seat. The Warlord crossed his arms and snarled.

"Understand? What's there to understand? She used Rings- used _safframate_, even. She admitted herself that she'd tortured Blood males in Draega. Now she wants to pretend it never happened? The fuck it didn't. I'm not going to pollute my bed for someone like that."

"If Bethaeny wanted to pretend it never happened, she wouldn't have said anything," he pointed out.

"Doesn't change the fact that she was involved in the worst kinds of abuse Terreille has ever seen."

Willem stared at him incredulously. How could such an normally intelligent man be so stupid sometimes? He just couldn't fathom how Shaede didn't see where he went wrong thinking that way. When he found his voice again, it held as much confusion as anger.

"What did you expect, Shaede? She was sent to Meredith's coven. I repeat- sent, not that she volunteered for it. What do you think would have happened to her if she _hadn't_ done those things?"

"Exile, like the others."

He refrained from the overwhelming need to rub his temples in frustration. A monster of a headache was building already. Hopefully it wouldn't get too much worse before this was over. Willem passed in front of the window and leaned against the half-bookcase holding his records and personal set of Protocol books.

"Meredith doesn't exile witches when they don't meet her expectations. She would have had Bethaeny broken for sport- likely at the hands of that pet Prince of hers- Alexander DeSade. And if the witch was lucky, that's the worst that would have happened."

The young Warlord hesitated a minute, but it wasn't long before that stubborn look returned.

"Ettia would have protected her," he argued.

"Ettia can barely protect herself," Willem countered bitterly. "She's trapped just as much as Bethaeny. No, she would have done nothing, since speaking up against Meredith would've earned her the same punishment. They both would have been destroyed, and that bitch calling herself a Queen wouldn't have batted an eyelash."

"But they're important witches in her coven."

"They're pawns. Meredith and Valinna sent them here with the hopes they'd die- all to spark a war between our territory and Hayll. It would have been no difference to them to send someone else."

"There's no way you can know that."

Sadly, Willem did know. First hand. Shortly after he'd been tasked with the Hayllian refugee project, he'd gone to Draega in order to understand what they were running from. He'd stayed in Lady Jaemie's district for three months. A short time in the span of a long-lived race, but an interminable visit for anyone to witness the horrors he found there. Truly the stuff of nightmares- things he tried to forget.

Perhaps some of this disaster was his own fault. He'd never discussed any of that time with Shaede or the other Warlords under his command. Hell's fire, none of the even knew he'd been to Hayll. If he had told them, maybe Shaede would have understood what witches like Ettia and Bethaeny faced when cornered into serving a coven.

Willem supposed now was as good a time as any to fix that oversight.

"I've been to Draega," he admitted quietly. "Lady Raenel took me with her once nearly twenty years ago. To see Lady Jaemie's district."

Shaede hadn't expected that answer, if the shock on his face was any indication. It certainly knocked most of that obstinate attitude from his face. He swallowed once before responding.

"I had no idea…"

"No one knows aside from the Queen and her Triangle. Vaerill was the one who brought my request to her attention, and helped arrange it with Lady Raenel. But I kept it quiet from the rest of the guard. They were told I was serving as an envoy to Lady Phaedrian's court in Askavi."

"But why?"

"Working as a spy is a risky business. The less people who knew about a mission, the better."

"Well, yeah….but after you came back, you never said anything."

Willem crossed the room to sit on the corner of his desk. He stared at his hands, folded in his lap. This would not be easy, but he felt he owed it. Not so much to the Warlord, but rather to Bethaeny.

"For years, all I wanted to do was forget, Shaede. Forget the haunted and vacant looks on the faces of broken Warlords and witches that seemed to be everywhere. Forget the screams when Lady Jaemie held one of her 'parties' for her coven.

"I didn't want to think about the witches- good, strong witches- brought to her who wouldn't submit to her way of ruling. Forget seeing their broken shells stumble through the gutter just days later. Or that some were never seen again. It was too much to live with for the longest time, and so I didn't."

Neither of them spoke for a long time. Twenty years had passed, and it still hit him hard whenever he thought of those days. If he'd hoped to come back with a better understanding of the suffering in Hayll, he had gotten more than he bargained for.

Willem hadn't shared what he'd seen with anyone aside from Claudia and Raenel. The latter had been the one to encourage him move past the trauma. She'd helped him find purpose in making lives better for the witches who managed to escape to Dhemlan. At least some good had come of it in the end.

"Is it really that bad?"

"It is. It really is. And I only saw one of the pet Queens. Lady Raenel refused to take me near Meredith's court because even she said it was too dangerous. And honestly, I'm not sure I would have been able to handle seeing what happened in _that_ court. I may have given up in the face of such hopelessness.

"So I'm not surprised what witches like Ettia and Bethaeny do in order to survive it. They have to become what terrify and disgust them, burying those feelings deep enough to live with the decisions they have no choice but to make.

And now that they've chosen to stand against Meredith, they have to face the knowledge of what they did without the protection of that emotional anesthetic. The guilt and self-doubt is devastating. It's a miracle that they've been able to come back this far without tearing themselves in two."

During his speech, Willem paid attention to the boyo's attitude. Little by little, that self-righteous air faded from Shaede's face. By the end, the boyo looked ill. He let those words sink in and waited for him to say something.

"How are you sure they're not acting? That this isn't some elaborate game set up by Meredith to trick us?"

The words of a desperate man, clutching onto a final hope that he hadn't made a huge mistake. Willem didn't feel any remorse in snatching that hope away from him.

"Because I saw the reports from Draega that arrived a few days ago. Our inside contact in Meredith's district confirmed that they're suspected as traitors. A former pleasure slave passed her the information, which he got from one of the servant witches in Meredith's court. Apparently, that witch also happens to be part of Ettia and Bethaeny's underground group."

"Oh."

"But I didn't need the report to know it," Willem continued. "I've seen the witches who gravitate towards that bitch's ideas. If you'd been there to see them first hand, you'd never mistake someone like Bethaeny for a witch like that."

Shaede had sunk low in the seat, eyes finding their way to the small window rather than to look directly at him. He blinked several times.

"I accused her of being no better than Meredith," he said at last.

"And given that she is already struggling with self-accusations on that score, it wasn't hard for you to convince her you were right."

"I wasn't; I was just angry."

"That wasn't the way to deal with your anger, Boyo."

"I know…you're always telling me I act first and think later."

Always was an understatement. Willem must have given Shaede that lecture twice a week since he joined the guard. Hopefully after this, the Warlord would finally work on that particular flaw. It was one thing when Shaede was the only one hurt by it, but now he was affecting other people. Unacceptable what had happened with Bethaeny. He said so.

"And this time you caused a kind-hearted witch a great deal of pain."

**4/Terreille**

Shaede winced at the hard edge in Willem's voice.

"You saw her?"

"Yes, I did."

"How…" he couldn't finish his question.

"You broke her heart, Shaede."

He closed his eyes against the accusation, wishing he could convince himself it wasn't true. His captain continued, only adding to the guilt.

"I suspect you were the first person Bethaeny cared about, aside from her cousin. And when she thought she could share something with you that left her vulnerable, you plunged a knife in her."

"I was so angry and I wanted to retaliate- wanted to make her cry."

"Congratulations. You succeeded."

"You're not going to cut me any slack on this, are you?"

"No, I'm not."

_Not like I _deserve_ any._

Shaede felt lower than low for what he'd done to Bethaeny. Even as he'd left her there last night, he'd known he'd made a mistake. But his pride wouldn't let him admit it. Not then, and not this morning when he'd woken up feeling hollowed out and alone. He'd held onto his anger so he wouldn't have to deal with either of those emotions. Should have known that Willem wasn't going to let him get away with it.

Hardly the biggest of his concerns right now.

"Will she be okay?"

Willem's shoulders lifted and fell as he sighed. Something told him he wasn't going to hear a reassuring 'yes' in his answer.

"Only time will tell, Shaede. I did my best to convince Bethaeny that she wasn't a monster. And maybe one day she'll believe it. That's half the battle, anyway- one Ettia can help her with, since she's struggling on the same battlefield."

Another stab of guilt flashed through him at the word 'monster'. He hadn't used it during the argument last night, so Bethaeny must have said it when Willem talked to her this morning. An ugly word. One Shaede wished he could take back. But apparently, things were worse than that.

"What's the other half," he asked reluctantly.

"You really don't understand what you've done, do you?"

Obviously not. None of his previous romantic interests had ever been this complicated. They began and ended spur of the moment, rarely producing anything more than mild irritation on either side when they were over. As he stared blankly at Willem, his captain sighed.

"Bethaeny may be crying now but the tears won't last. And once they're gone, she's going to be angry. Primarily at you, Boyo, so you'd better be prepared to forget her."

Shaede started to protest, but Willem continued.

"But what I fear is that she'll stay angry and won't ever heal enough to trust someone else. If she doesn't, Bethaeny's first attempt at a normal relationship with a man may be her last."

The thought of Bethaeny with someone else didn't sit well. Not at all. Then again, neither did the idea that if she spent the rest of her life alone, it was all his fault. There had to be a way for him to fix it.

"What do I do?"

"Leave her alone."

"But…"

"I mean it, Shaede," Willem repeated, deadly serious. "I know you want to fix this, but if you go anywhere near her, you'll only make it worse."

"I should at least apologize, don't you think?"

"No. Not now. She won't be ready to hear it."

"When, though? They leave tomorrow, and who knows if either of them will be back."

"Boyo, I wasn't exaggerating when I said you may just have to forget Bethaeny. Some things, when broken, may never be mended."

Shaede didn't argue, but inwardly he refused to accept what Willem was telling him. He'd figure out some way to work things out with her. The man must have read his thoughts. His serious look turned downright severe.

"Do I need to order you to stay away from her?"

_You can try_, he muttered to himself.

"I'll take that as a yes. Hear me, Shaede: You are not to go anywhere near Bethaeny or her cousin so long as they're in Dhemlan. I expect you to obey your orders. Are we clear?"

"I understand."

"All right, so long as you understand. I have a meeting with the Queen this afternoon."

Before he could ask, Willem nodded.

"Yes, she will be informed- briefly- about what happened. I will do my best to convince her that you shouldn't be released from your contract. But I may change my recommendation if I hear that you disobeyed my instructions regarding Bethaeny."

Well that put a wrinkle in things. He had to be extra careful not to get caught if he tried to see her. Shaede knew his captain was not making an idle threat.

"Yes, sir."

The stern look vanished, and he shook his head.

"It's not meant to punish you, Warlord. I'm only giving you this command in your best interest. And hers."

With that, he stood and walked to the door. Shaede followed him mutely, unwilling to admit that the man was probably right. Hope that Willem was wrong spurred him onward with a plan. By tonight, he would find a way to speak with Bethaeny. He'd put things right again.

**5/Terreille**

Claudia sensed that something wasn't quite right in her court today. The atmosphere in the hall felt…hostile. Vaerill had supplied her with an idea _who_ was causing it, but was unable to provide insight to _why_ Ettia and Shaede were so furious with one another. She hoped Prince Willem would be more enlightening about the matter during their meeting. More than hoped. She expected him to know what was wrong with a Warlord under his command.

A knock on the audience room door heralded Willem's arrival. Punctual as always. Claudia nodded to Aeroth to admit him into the room. Right away, she noticed a lack of his usual cheerfulness.

_Well that doesn't bode well_.

First things first. She'd open with something easy before delving into the situation with Ettia and Shaede.

"Prince Willem, thank you for your continued support with the witches from Meredith's court."

"My pleasure, Lady."

"I know this is not quite in the scope of your typical assignment with the Hayllian refugees."

The barest of smiles tugged at his mouth, and he bowed.

"Quite unusual, I must agree. I had no idea how the story would unravel when they first were brought to my attention."

"I'm sure. Would you care to sit, Prince?"

"My thanks, Lady," he replied, taking a seat next to Aeroth. "May I ask why you wanted to meet this afternoon?"

His question offered her an opportunity; Claudia took advantage of it.

"I had intended to go over some plans with you regarding arrangements for Ettia and Bethaeny's return to Hayll." She sighed. "But before we get to that I feel I must ask you about one of the men in your troop."

"Lord Shaede."

"Yes. I take it you're aware of the animosity between him and Lady Ettia this morning?"

Willem was genuinely surprised by her question, worrying her even further. He'd obviously expected she wanted to ask him about Shaede, but not about this. What else could be wrong? Claudia supposed she'd find out soon enough.

"Last night after the final meeting, there was a…disagreement," he began carefully. "It caused some hard feelings between Lord Shaede and the Ladies from Hayll."

Aeroth and Vaerill exchanged a look, clearly reading that this situation was more serious than any of them thought.

"What sort of disagreement, Prince?"

"It was of a personal nature, and I've given my word not to say more than what's necessary."

"I understand."

"In any case, the short version goes like this. Lord Shaede is interested in Lady Bethaeny. But he really doesn't understand what it means to live in a Hayllian court. And when Bethaeny tried to explain it…well, he didn't react well."

Claudia was immediately alarmed. So were her Master of the Guard and Consort. The former asked his question before she could phrase hers.

"What do you mean 'didn't react well'? Is _he_ the reason Bethaeny wasn't at the meeting this morning?"

_And why didn't I know that she wasn't at the meeting,_ she wondered sharply. _That might have been something to tell me, Vaerill._ But she refrained from interrupting Willem.

"Yes."

"Then she's not sick as her cousin said."

"Not physically ill."

Mother Night. She hoped Willem hadn't expected them to be comforted by that response. Physical injury was the least harm Claudia could imagine. She signaled to Vaerill and Aeroth that they should allow her to ask the next question.

"Can you advise as to the seriousness of the witch's injuries, Prince?"

"It's not as bad as you fear, my Lady."

"That doesn't really answer the question."

He tunneled fingers through his hair and nodded.

"All right- it's not exactly good, either. I saw her after the meeting. Her feelings have been sorely bruised and she is heartsick about Shaede's rejection."

A broken heart- not good, but not the worst.

"Anything else?"

Willem paused.

"He brushed a deep scar during that argument. It will take time for that to heal."

A chill crept into the air around them. Claudia wasn't sure if it came from Vaerill or Aeroth. Both of them had become good friends with Bethaeny over the past few days. So had Kholt. Not surprising. The witch reminded them all quite a bit of Raenel. It had eased the hurt of losing their friend to find someone who might carry on in her memory.

"Lord Shaede could use a reminder in how to respect witches, no matter what territory they come from," Vaerill snarled.

"With all due respect, Prince, I have already spoken with him on the matter. He understands that his behavior was wrong, and the damage it inflicted on the witch. I've also ordered him to stay away from her and Lady Ettia."

Her Master of the Guard seemed to want to argue, but Claudia held him back.

"Prince Willem has addressed the situation, and I see no reason to interfere regarding Lord Shade. At this time."

All three males bobbed their heads quickly.

"Yes, Lady. Your will is our command."

They were preparing to move on to the next topic when Kholt burst into the audience room. At first, she almost didn't recognize him. Her Steward was usually so serious, and to see him so highly animated was highly unusual. Claudia hoped he hadn't come to bring her more bad news.

"My Lady," he gasped as soon as he'd stopped at her feet. "My apologies for the interruption, but I had to deliver this to you right away."

Kholt called in an envelope and handed it to her. The seal caught her attention immediately. Draca's. Mother Night and may the Darkness be merciful. She'd gotten several letters from 'Nelle by way of the Keep, but never bearing the seal of its Seneschal. What could have been so important?

She could think of only one reason. Claudia glanced at the others.

"If no one objects, I'd like to open this now."

No one objected. Claudia tore open the envelope and snatched the single page letter inside. At the first line, her eyes prickled with tears. By the end, they had fallen in earnest. She wiped them away with the back of her hand and drew in a shaky breath.

"My Lady, are you all right?" Aeroth asked, obviously worried.

"More than all right," she whispered as she reread the letter.

"Begging your pardon, Claudia, but you don't look all right to me."

She glanced up at her Consort and husband, and saw his brow creased with worry. If the others weren't here, he would have scooped her up in his arms already. Hell's fire, he looked like he might do it anyway.

_Okay, I've worried the poor man enough, _she admitted. She smiled at him reassuringly.

"Truly, Aeroth, I am perfectly fine."

He relaxed, as did the others.

"May I ask who sent the letter?" Vaerill asked.

"It's from Lady Raenel."

Exclamations of surprise fell on her ears from all sides. Then came a bombardment of questions. Claudia held up a hand until they'd calmed down. Well, none of them were calm, but at least they were quiet.

"She's in Kaeleer with 'Nelle. Arrived there just recently, from the sounds of it."

"But Lady Bethaeny said she saw…"

"A Shadow," Claudia finished for Kholt. "Raenel had the Prince destroy a Shadow to convince Meredith she was dead."

"And he _agreed_?"

Vaerill had good reason to sound dubious. Every report they'd gotten about Prince DeSade had painted the story of a vicious killer and torturer of witches. Believing that man capable of cooperating with a witch was hard to manage. Or would be, until she explained to them what the reports _hadn't_ told them. Claudia could scarcely believe what Raenel wrote about the Prince. But it had to be true.

"He did."

"And did she say where he disappeared off to?"

"Prince Alexander DeSade is in Kaeleer."

More confused looks.

"She took him with her? But why?"

"That had been part of her plan for this last mission. In addition to destroying the remaining Rings in Hayll, Raenel went into Draega specifically to release him from Meredith's control," she paused. "…and to return him home."

"Home?"

"The Prince wasn't Hayllian. He's actually Dhemlan. Raenel was determined that he should be reunited with his family. They've all mourned him as dead for centuries."

Slowly, comprehension dawned on their faces. Aeroth spoke first.

"Claudia, you can't mean that Prince DeSade is…"

"Jaenelle Saetien's brother and Daemon Sadi's son."

"Mother Night and may the Darkness be merciful," Kholt muttered under his breath.

"How is that even possible?"

"Raenel didn't provide too many details, but she says something about Meredith sending a member of her coven to kidnap him. She said she'd explain it better the next time she was back in Dhemlan Terreille."

At first, no one said anything.

"I'd just begun to accept that she was dead," Vaerill whispered softly. "Coming back. In a few days, the world has been undone and rebuilt again."

"Well I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm going to yell at her when she does get back," Aeroth announced. "After I see she's okay, of course."

Looking at her Triangle, Claudia knew Raenel would have to endure a lecture from all of them. Probably from everyone in her First- and Second- Circle.

_Not until after I've had _my _say, though. She owes me for that letter I had to write to 'Nelle and all the days I thought she'd been murdered._

Claudia folded the note and fixed a determined look at the four of them- Prince Willem in particular.

"The letter also contained a message for Lady Ettia and Lady Bethaeny. I'm entrusting you to deliver it to them."

Everyone's attention sharpened with curiosity.

"What's the message, my Lady?"

"In a few months, a new serving witch is going to arrive in Meredith's hall. They'll know which one by a star-shaped scar on her temple. If they truly want to help Hayll become free of Meredith, Ettia and Bethaeny should find a way to contact that witch."

"So Raenel's going to meet with them," Kholt translated aloud.

"Which means she's going back to Meredith's court again."

"I don't like it," Aeroth muttered. "It was dangerous enough once."

"It's their best chance to make a difference," Willem argued.

"I still don't like it."

"Neither do I, but I doubt Lady Raenel is going to give us a choice about it. We're lucky she even _told_ us what she was planning."

A collective sigh escaped them. Truer words were never spoken. If 'Nelle and the High Lord couldn't keep Raenel reined in, none of them stood much chance of it, either. Willem recovered first, rising from his seat.

"With your leave, Lady, I'll bring the message to the Ladies."

"Take Vaerill and Kholt with you," she replied with a nod. "They will fill you in regarding the preparations for their departure."

"Your will is my command."

The three of them left. Claudia turned to Aeroth and shook her head. He came up to put an arm around her.

"Raenel alive and Meredith's pet Warlord Prince is Daemon Sadi's son. Meredith is slaughtering Hayllian witches as Dhemlan spies to start a war, and her own coven is looking for ways to bring her down. Aeroth, whatever is coming for Hayll, I think even Dhemlan is going to feel the storm."

"I know, Claudia," he answered with a kiss to the top of her head. "But I feel like when it's done, we might finally see peace for all of the Realm. If this is what it takes, I think we have a duty to see it through."

She couldn't disagree with his opinion; too long had Hayll lived under an oppressive shadow. What Raenel started a half century ago was finally gaining speed. Maybe they'd all be lucky enough to see the damaged territory emerge healthy and whole.

It was something to hope for.

**6/Terreille**

"You're serious, aren't you? Leave? Tomorrow morning?"

"I think it's for the best, Bethaeny, don't you?"

Her cousin didn't look as weepy as she did this morning, but Ettia knew she was in no condition to stay here. The best thing for her was getting away from this place. What was the difference if they left a day early? One more meeting wasn't going to save them if they got into trouble back in Draega. But leaving tomorrow might keep Bethaeny from coming completely unglued.

_Now I just have to convince her of that fact_.

"Cousin?"

"Better for me, maybe, but what about everyone else in the group? Wouldn't it be better if we learned all we could before going back?"

"How are we going to absorb anything if you're either shut up in your suite, or distracted by that idiot Warlord?"

"I can deal with Shaede."

"Look, I'm glad Willem was able to help, but it's not going to be as easy as you think when you actually see him again in person."

Bethaeny shot her a murderous glare.

"Like you'd know what this is like. Unless you've had your heart stomped on lately."

"Hey, I'm trying to help. You don't have to snap at me for it."

"I know," her cousin sighed as she flopped on the bed. A few moments passed while she stared at the ceiling. "I'm sorry."

Just then, Ettia heard the sound of knocking at their door. She had no idea who it could be at this hour, but hoped whoever it was didn't intend to stay long. If they were going to leave tomorrow, she and Bethaeny really needed to start packing. Not to mention get some sleep.

"We'll talk more later," she said, rising. "I'll see who's at the door."

"Sure."

Muttering to herself, Ettia made her way to the common room in their suite. By the time she yanked open the door, she was more than ready to send their unexpected visitor packing. Trouble was, when she saw Willem standing in the hallway, escorted by Prince Vaerill and Prince Kholt, those thoughts fled.

"Oh crap, now what?"

They looked started.

"Beg your pardon, Lady Ettia?" the Steward asked.

"I don't know. I guess I assume if the three of you are all here, it's likely trouble."

Willem couldn't resist a smile.

"Well, we'll see if it's trouble for you…or for us."

She distrusted his jovial mood, especially since she'd been screaming at him the last time they were in a room together. What had made him happy now? Was Lady Claudia upset with them about this thing between Shaede and Bethaeny? Did she order them out of Amdarh?

Ettia knew she had no reason to suspect any of those things, but the questions circled at the back of her mind like vultures. She would not let them win. Would not show panic or start accusing anyone of anything. But she couldn't bring herself to join his attempt at humor, either.

In the end, she managed a flat stare. Willem's grin faded somewhat.

"Are you still angry with me, Ettia?"

Oh she wanted to be. She wanted to stay mad at everyone. It helped keep her mind off the reality that she and Bethaeny had to return to Draega very, very soon. And Ettia found didn't want to go back. As much as it would kill her to admit that Bethaeny might have been right, the people of Dhemlan and their brand of Protocol was growing on her.

Once they went back to Draega, she'd have to pretend she never saw any of this around most of the coven. She'd have to go back to being that witch again- the one she hated. The one she'd confessed might just take over the part of her who wanted to stay like this during her conversation with Willem yesterday. That thought terrified her more than she wanted to admit.

So yes, she wanted to stay mad. But after what he'd done to help her cousin, Ettia couldn't keep the pretense up that she was angry with him. It wasn't even his fault that Shaede was an ass in the first place.

_There's no help for it…I'll have to apologize,_ she thought glumly. _Hopefully, Willem doesn't gloat _too_ much._

"I…uh…was a little overwrought this morning," she began. "I just needed to yell at something."

"And I made myself a handy target."

"That didn't make it right…"

He held up his hands.

"No need to apologize. That's not what I came here for."

"Oh." She paused to think. "Are you here to see Bethaeny?"

"Both of you, actually. It's about your trip back to Draega. The Queen asked me to go over the details with you both."

"I wasn't aware that anything special was going to happen. I mean, we thought we would just pack our things and go back the way we came. I'm guessing that's not the plan?"

"Not exactly," he told her kindly. "She wants to be sure you have sufficient protection through Dhemlan, and will arrive in Draega safely without rousing Meredith's suspicions. May we come in?"

Ettia glanced behind her at the suite. As she'd been packing, things were strewn everywhere. _Personal_ things that she didn't really want Willem or the other two to see.

"Uh…" she hesitated.

He looked knowingly at her.

"Need a few minutes to tidy up?"

"Yeah, no…I just…let me vanish some stuff."

Once the mess was dealt with, Ettia stepped aside to let them in. From the door of her bedroom, Bethaeny appeared. She must have gotten curious about what was going on. Alarm flashed across her face when she saw Vaerill and Kholt. Ettia knew her cousin was likely thinking the same thing she had at first.

"They're here to talk about how we're getting back to Draega."

Her cousin nodded, and ventured further into the room. Willem smiled at her and gestured to a chair.

"I promise we won't be long."

After fifteen minutes of discussing escorts and routes and what Winds to take, Ettia had to wonder about his definition of 'long'. She was just about to ask when he came to the end of it.

"Once you leave Dhemlan, you'll be on your own again," Vaerill emphasized. "As much as my Queen would like to send you with an escort the whole way, it's too risky."

"Risky," Ettia repeated.

"More for you, really. If Meredith finds you with Dhemlans in her territory, she'll have more than enough ammunition to brand you both at traitors."

She supposed she should have thought of that. It made sense.

"That is definitely the last thing we'd want to see happen," Kholt said.

"Us, too," Bethaeny chimed in.

"There's one last thing," Willem mentioned, almost as an afterthought. Ettia couldn't tell if it was good or bad from his tone.

"Oh?"

"Lady Raenel."

Ettia wondered why he was bringing that name up. She glanced quickly at Bethaeny, hoping that the subject didn't upset her. But her cousin seemed fine for now.

"What about her?"

"We received a message from her today. Part of it was for the two of you."

"That's not possible. The Prince…"

"Whatever you saw in that suite was nothing but an illusion. What we call a Shadow. Raenel used it to trick Meredith into believing she'd been killed."

Bethaeny shuddered, rubbing her arms vigorously as if she'd gotten a chill.

"It worked," she murmured quietly.

Ettia suspected that Willem had more to tell them.

"Was that it?"

"No," Willem said with a shake of his head.

"She is interested in helping you. If you want it, look for a witch with a star-shaped scar on her temple. She'll appear among the housekeeping staff sometime a few months from now."

So the witch was returning to Draega. Returning to Meredith's court, despite what happened to her last time. Hearing Willem's explanation, Ettia wondered just what _did_ happen. Could the Shadow he mentioned have been what they'd all seen in the audience room?

Instinct told her t couldn't have been. She couldn't believe that Valinna wouldn't have noticed an illusion when it was right under her nose. Irrelevant, really. The point was, the witch survived in Prince DeSade's suite, and that was something no one else had ever done.

_How powerful is she, _Ettia wondered. _Stronger than Meredith? If she is, what does she plan to do with Hayll once Meredith's gone? And what price will we have to pay for her help?_

Things to consider. Luckily, it sounded as though they had time to think.

"Thank you, Prince," she said aloud. "We'll be sure to keep an eye out for her."

"I'm so glad…" Bethaeny told them, smiling. "Glad to hear she's well."

"As are we all, Lady."

When no one spoke after that, Vaerill must have recognized it as their cue to be going. He motioned to the others.

"I think it's been a long enough day for all of us," he said. "We'll leave you ladies to the rest of your evening."

Everyone made their goodbyes, and Willem's hand touched the doorknob to pull it open. Before he did, the knob turned. In walked Shaede, who immediately froze when he saw the other males in the room. They were likewise still, and Ettia waited to see what would happen. Willem looked positively irate. He was about to give the Warlord a blistering lecture when she heard movement from behind her.

"What in the hell do you think you're doing here!?"

**7/Terreille**

Considering that he hadn't expected to run into Willem- or the Queen's Master of the Guard for that matter- Shaede wasn't sure. Not that he ought to worry much about them just now. No, Bethaeny appeared the much greater threat, coming at him with eyes blazing in fury.

_Willem tried to warn me_, he admitted ruefully.

She pushed past her cousin to stand front and center of the group. Hands planted on her hips, she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Well?"

"Could we talk for a minute- privately?"

"No, Warlord, we can't," Bethaeny replied shortly. "If I recall, you'd said last night you didn't want to hear what I had to say. Today, I'm pretty certain I don't want to hear what _you_ have to say."

Shaede supposed he deserved that. He took the kick to the balls and tried again.

"I get it- but I need to tell you…"

"I said no. We're not doing this. Not tonight and not ever."

"Just one thing," he pleaded.

Despite how pitiful he probably looked, she was not swayed.

"You should leave, Warlord. We have nothing more to say to one another, and I don't want you here."

"Shaede," Willem's voice urged gently from behind him. "Let's honor the Lady's wishes and go."

He glanced at Lady Ettia, hoping futilely that she might help him with her cousin. No luck there; she was just as furious. Shaede looked at Bethaeny one last time, determined to say what he had come here to say. It didn't matter that she didn't want to hear it.

"I'm sorry, Bethaeny. More than you know."

He thought he saw a shimmer of unshed tears, but she was still too angry to acknowledge them- or his apology. With that, he turned away. Willem and the others let him pass, and followed him out to the hall. The door closed behind Kholt, who was the last to leave the room.

_Well, I suppose that's over._

"Did I not order you just this afternoon to stay away from Lady Bethaeny," Willem demanded. "What part of my command was unclear, Warlord?"

_Okay, maybe not._

"I understood the order, sir."

"And yet here you are."

"You're right. I disobeyed it deliberately," Shaede confessed truthfully. "And I accept whatever punishment awaits me for it. But I'll tell you what I could not accept. The thought of letting Bethaeny leave here without telling her what I needed to say. No matter what she might think of it or me."

His captain had been gearing up to yell at him. So were Vaerill and Kholt. But after he'd finished, all three let out aggravated sighs instead. The Queen's Master of the Guard ran a hand across his forehead several times and darted an exasperated look at Willem.

"He's your man- what do you want done about this?"

Shaede waited nervously. He'd meant what he'd said. Getting to say his piece to Bethaeny had been worth whatever punishment was coming to him, but that didn't mean he wasn't afraid. He'd dreamed of serving Lady Claudia for a long time. Now it might be over.

"One month," his captain said finally. "For the next four weeks, you will be standing extra duty in the Hayllian quarter, Lord Shaede. I will explain to the Queens that you are to do whatever they need done during that time. You will report to me every day for any additional assignments as I see fit. This is not negotiable, Warlord. Understood?"

He was so relieved that Willem wasn't kicking him out of the guard that he would have agreed to two months- hell's fire, a year- of extra duty. As soon as he found his voice, Shaede answered.

"Yes, sir."

Vaerill and Kholt nodded in agreement.

"It's more than fair. We'll emphasize that point to the Queen if it becomes necessary."

"Let's hope it doesn't," the Steward mumbled.

"No kidding. Willem- you need us for anything?"

"No, we'll be fine," the man said while holding his gaze on Shaede. "I'll be sure to arrive early tomorrow to be part of the escort."

"Sounds fine. Good evening, Prince. Warlord."

"Good evening."

When they'd gone, Willem shook his head.

"It's been a rough day, Boyo. Let's go to the Brass Barrel and have a talk over some ale. I think we could both use it."

Shaede couldn't speak. The reality of his situation with Bethaeny was just starting to hit him. He managed to nod, and followed Willem away from her suite. If he was lucky, he could drink enough to numb himself to the ache in his chest. At least for a little while. Shaede knew the ache would be there long after his punishment was over.

He suspected Willem knew that, too.


End file.
